Ramzan Kadyrov vs. Novaya Gazeta

The president of Chechnya, a republic in the North Caucasus part of the Russian Federation, has accused the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta of publishing false information about the situation in connection with coronavirus infection in Chechnya.

“How long will the provocative and explosive anti-Chechen harassment continue, brazenly and unscrupulously promulgated by Novaya Gazeta?” said Kadyrov in a video distributed by his official Telegram channel.

In his statement, Kadyrov also mistakenly claims that the state-owned company Gazprom finances Novaya Gazeta.

“I myself do not understand, and even more so do not understand how I need to explain to my people the fact that the well-respected (essentially state) Gazprom essentially finances the [] sabotage anti-Russian newspaper, whose corrupt journalists receive awards in the West and in the USA?” Kadyrov said.

Kadyrov asked why the “stronghold of our sovereignty – the FSB” does not pay attention to the “activities of foreign agents” in the person of Novaya Gazeta journalists.

What outraged Kadyrov?

The main reason for the reaction of the Chechen president was an article by Elena Milashina, published on April 12 in Novaya Gazeta, “Death from coronavirus is a lesser evil”.

The article talks about the persecution by the Chechen authorities of people allegedly infected with coronavirus, which is why many people with symptoms prefer not to go to hospitals. And also that at the height of the epidemic some hospitals are closing down and people are being denied medical care. In addition, testing for coronavirus is not being carried out properly, the article claims.

According to the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, Dmiry Muratov, immediately after the release of the material, a spokesman for Kadyrov phoned him and expressed dissatisfaction with the publication.

“I said that I understand that there is another point of view, but I asked that it be formulated… The new press secretary of the leader of Chechnya promised to think, but, apparently, having thought, he was dissuaded in this matter, and we got this post of Mr. Kadyrov,” Muratov said.

Attack on the Novaya Gazeta journalist

The authorities of this republic have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with how the publication is covering the coronavirus pandemic in Chechnya. And in February in Chechnya, an attack was carried out on a columnist for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, Elena Milashin, and well-known lawyer, Marina Dubrovina.

An aggressive group – of mostly women – attacked them in the hotel lobby and beat them, filming the events on camera.

Yelena Milashina claimed that earlier because of her materials she had repeatedly received threats from the Chechen authorities and personally President Ramzan Kadyrov.

Among the topics that Milashin covered in Novaya Gazeta were the illegal arrests of people and extrajudicial executions, as well as the persecution and murder of gays in Chechnya.