Kadyrov people update violent practices of Second Chechen War

The practice of humiliation through sexual violence, like in the abuse case of Salman Tepsurkaev, a resident of Chechnya, was used during the Second Chechen War, the Human Rights Analysis Centre has stated. Such public brutality has become a "frightening innovation" that will greatly affect the public perception of the republic's authorities, said Dmitry Piskunov, a spokesman for the Committee against Torture (CaT).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the video, in which a naked man sits onto a bottle, stating that he does it as punishment for cooperating with the Telegram channel that criticized Chechen authorities, caused a resonance in Chechnya. Lawyers do not exclude rape and torture in this video.

There is nothing new in the practice of such humiliations with the use of handy objects applied by Chechen law enforcement bodies, says Dmitry Piskunov, the head of the CaT's North-Caucasian Branch. However, this case is notable for its publicity and maximum cruelly.

Oleg Orlov, a board member of the HRC "Memorial", has treated the video with Tepsurkaev's humiliation as unprecedented. In his opinion, this case will not become a turning point in people's attitude towards the authorities, but will seriously affect the public opinion in Chechnya.

Humiliation through sexual violence is not new; it was used by federal forces in Chechnya since the start of the Second Chechen War, said Musa Lomaev, a Chechen refugee and public figure.

As noted on the Facebook by the human rights organization named "Human Rights Analysis Centre", the violence against the 19-year-old boy "is shocking by the ultimate disregard for Chechen ethical norms."

In Chechen Adats (traditions), there are no variants of sexual violence as punishment, Mikhail Roschin, an Orientalist, has noted.