Akhmed Dudayev was awarded the medal “For the Protection of Human Rights”. He staged humiliating public apologies in the republic

The Minister of Chechnya for National Policy, Foreign Relations, Press and Information Akhmed Dudayev was awarded the medal “For the Protection of Human Rights” and the honorary badge “Patriot of Russia” informs Chechnya Today.

Prior to his appointment as minister in June 2020, Dudayev headed the Chechen television and radio company Grozny.

In April 2021, the US State Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that the US authorities impose sanctions against Dudayev because of the “humiliating video confessions” that appear on local state television and in the accounts of officials. The commission also stated that Dudayev was responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in Chechnya.

In Chechnya, forcing a public apology put on stream and has long been a method of control over society. The systematic practice began in December 2015. The Grozny TV channel was even going to create a separate section for them. For Chechens, the concept of “honor” is extremely important, and humiliation due to an apology can be worse than death.

Chechen security officials are involved in forcing apologies; those who refuse to apologize are often imprisoned, beaten and killed.

Dudayev explained his version of the mechanism for obtaining an apology: a person is contacted; explain to him how he violated the Chechen traditions; realizing this, the person publishes an apology.

On December 18, the Grozny TV channel aired a story where local resident Aishat Inayeva was sitting with the leaders of the republic and asked for forgiveness for her words, referring to her “clouded mind”. Earlier, Inaeva published an audio recording, where she branded the “show” of the regional authorities against the background of extortions and poverty of residents.

Two days later, a video appeared on Facebook where a Chechen Adam Dikayev, without pants on a treadmill, sings “My best friend is President Putin.” Prior to this, Dikayev criticized the video on Instagram, where Ramzan Kadyrov runs to this song. In the note with an apology, Dikayev says: “… They found me, took off my pants …”

In November 2021, Akhmed Dudayev demanded to ban the sale of Medina Mirai’s book “Syntonyms” in the republic, which tells about the friendship of two boys and their education in a magic school. According to Dudayev, the book promotes “an absolutely immoral way of life that runs counter to Chechen traditions and customs.”

In March 2021, Dudaev demanded to prosecute Novaya Gazeta for publishing a large piece of information about extrajudicial torture and executions in the republic. According to the official, this publication tarnished the honor of the Chechen police.