Disregard of quarantine highlights double standards of Chechen authorities

In Chechnya, officials follow the example of Ramzan Kadyrov and ignore the restrictive measures imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection, while ordinary residents of the republic are obliged to follow the quarantine measures. Such a conclusion may be drawn from a video report on collective prayer posted by the leader of Chechnya.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 27, Ramzan Kadyrov announced a step-by-step lifting of the quarantine restrictions in Chechnya. However, on April 29, the leader of Chechnya instructed his subordinates to strengthen the control over the movement of people and engage violators of the self-isolation regime in public works. By May 3, there were 553 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection in Chechnya.

On May 3, Ramzan Kadyrov held an iftar (a ceremony to finish fasting during the month of Ramadan) with chiefs of hospitals providing medical treatment for patients infected with coronavirus, the leader of Chechnya reported on his VKontakte page. In a posted video, Ramzan Kadyrov performs a prayer with a group of men, and no one wear a mask. After the prayer, the leader of Chechnya and other 10 people have dinner at the same table.

Officials of the republic do not comply with the quarantine measures set up by them, says Aslan, an employee of a local NGO.

"Mosques are closed. People are not allowed to visit their friends and organize iftars for their relatives and friends ... We are banned from doing all this, but our officials are allowed for some reason," said local resident Ali.

While commenting on the participation of Chechen officials in the opening ceremony of the Palace of Arts in Grozny, Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, has noted that breaking own bans is a common practice for the Chechen authorities.

Meanwhile, ordinary residents of Chechnya are subjected to public condemnation for violating the quarantine restrictive measures. So, a video was posted on Instagram, in which two residents of the Gudermes District apologized for violating the self-isolation regime.