Posted on 08/09/2009 4:11:45 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Prominent Russian human rights activist Natalya Estemirova was abducted outside her home in the Chechen capital, Grozny, last month. Hours later, her body was discovered in a forest in the neighboring region of Ingushetia. Estemirova, who'd investigated abductions, torture and other rights abuses in Chechnya, had been shot in the head.
Estemirova's colleagues blame Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. They accuse him of fostering an atmosphere of impunity in which the abductions and killings of his critics take place. But in an exclusive interview with RFE/RL, Kadyrov denies the accusations. He says his only concern is the welfare of Chechnya's residents, and blames the West for spreading lies about him. ....
RFE/RL: For many in the West, the image of Chechnya is of a region of violence, like the Wild West. How do you explain that?
Kadyrov: The wildest violence in the world takes place in the West. People are being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Palestinians are being killed. Human rights are being completely violated. There are concentration camps and there's no individual freedom [in the West]. If someone says the wrong thing, he's an enemy.
But Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation. All Russian laws are observed here. Yes, human rights violations take place here, too. That happens everywhere. ....
....But we're not angels. Human rights are violated all over the world. America pressures absolutely everyone. And no one says anything about it. Take [Georgia's separatist region of] South Ossetia. The Americans snuck in there at night, shot up the entire population, and left. And everyone's silent about it. ....
....They're very good lawyers. But if they say that Kadyrov or his people are to blame, let them prove it. Why would Kadyrov kill women that no one needs? ....
....Putin is my idol. I love him. I respect him. There's no one else like him, personally for me. I owe him more than anyone else. I owe him my life.
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