Kadyrov's blasphemous words about ArgunRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus - The head of the pro-Moscow Chechen administration Akhmad Kadyrov said during a speech to the State Council of the Russian Federation in the Kremlin yesterday that the special operation conducted by the Russian forces between December 11 and 16 in Argun is a necessary part of the fight against the advocates of Chechen independence. He also remarked that during similar operations casualties among peaceful civilians are unavoidable and justifiable.
The “mopping up” operation in the town of Argun, about 15 km east of Grozny, was accompanied by mass human rights violations. Russian soldiers looted houses, destroyed furniture, stole valuables, beat innocent civilians, and also extorted money for not detaining the local male population. Even the representatives of Russian armed forces admitted that massive human rights violations were occurring. For three days, employees of the republic’s prosecutor’s office, military counter-intelligence and FSB have been present in Argun checking the facts about human rights violations and abuses of power by the Russian troops. Chechnya’s prosecutor Vsevolod Chernov promised the local city administration that all complaints by the Argun inhabitants will be carefully investigated and followed by strict measures.
However, besides the local inhabitants, among the victims of the massive “mopping-up” operation are also individuals who were accidentally present in Argun or were merely trying to travel through the town. For example, 42-year-old Luiza Betirgirieva, mother of 7, was mortally wounded at a Russian checkpoint in the north-eastern part of Argun. The driver of her car was turned away from going to the town and consequently the car was fired at from the checkpoint. Betirgirieva who was on the way from her work at the Russian military headquarters at Khankala base, was wounded and transported to a hospital. On the background of this and other tragic incidents during the so-called “mopping-up” operations in Argun, Kadyrov’s statements in the Kremlin are perceived by the local Chechen population as rather blasphemous.
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