Threats against the diaspora
Ramzan Kadyrov called Chechens who fled to Europe "despicable traitors" on Telegram on Friday evening. He accused these individuals of trying to tarnish their own people and warned that "there is no way back" for them. Kadyrov called them "pseudo-patriots" who have "cut themselves off from their roots" and are "absolutely unwanted" in Chechnya. He stated there is no place on Chechen soil for those who betrayed the memory of people who died for the republic. Kadyrov also published a video showing him picking pomegranates, walking through Grozny, and singing a Chechen song. He released a poem titled "To the Enemies…" stating that his targets would be brought to trial under escort. Kadyrov wrote that contempt is reserved for those despicable traitors who live off foreign money and spread filthy rumors to undermine the peace and order for which thousands of the finest and most worthy sons of the Chechen people gave their lives. These comments followed an armed incident in Chernorechye where security forces shot dead a man. Official reports say the man put up armed resistance at a checkpoint and planned terrorist attacks with an accomplice. The opposition movement NIYSO reported that security forces conducted mass raids across the republic while searching for other possible accomplices.
Patterns of transnational repression
The recent threats are clearly part of a pattern of transnational repression reported by the United Nations. In September 2026, Mariana Katzarova, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia, presented a report regarding the persecution of the Chechen diaspora. The document focuses on surveillance, intimidation, and pressure on relatives to target people who oppose the republic’s leadership from abroad. The report describes several methods used to pressure emigres:
- Threats against family members
- Confiscation of property
- Detentions and abductions
- Persecution following threats of domestic abuse or forced marriage
Kadyrov has long pressured Chechens living abroad, including in June 2016 when he warned that emigres would have to return home to answer for their words. In August 2020, he divided Chechens abroad into "good" and "bad" individuals. After he supported the 1ADAT Telegram channel in September 2020, security forces detained relatives of Akhmed Zakaev, a politician living in the UK. While Kadyrov allowed Rubati Mitsaeva to return in 2021 and blogger Hussein Dzhambetov to return in 2023, he continues to threaten, detain, and abduct relatives who stay in the republic. Dzhambetov had previously criticized Kadyrov and said he joined a Chechen unit fighting on Ukraine’s side.
