Kadyrov responds to criticism about relatives in power

The appointment of relatives to key positions in Chechnya is explained by trust in them, and not by kinship, Ramzan Kadyrov said in response to criticism about the appointment of his nephew as a minister.

On February 2, Kadyrov announced that he had appointed his nephew, the 26-year-old Khamzat Kadyrov, as Chechnya's Minister for Property and Land Relations, calling him a "talented and executive leader."

In February 2020, he appointed Khamzat Kadyrov as Minister of Physical Culture and Sports.

"Various 'political analysts' and 'experts' like talking about the law when it comes to my relatives who are civil servants … If one listens to their horror stories, it may seem that the republic will fall apart due to the fact that among the hundreds of thousands of employees in the region there are several of my close relatives," Ramzan Kadyrov wrote in his Telegram channel.

He has rejected his any violations of the law and stressed that from his relatives "at any post, the demand is dozens of times higher" than from other employees.

Earlier, the "ForPost" outlet wrote, quoting Yuri Samonkin, a political analyst, that it is inadmissible to appoint officials' relatives to state posts. He believes that it is necessary to tighten the law on the state civil service in order to "stop the emergence of bureaucratic dynasties."

Let us remind you that, according to the BBC Russian Service*, in 2018, about a third of all major officials in Chechnya were Ramzan Kadyrov's relatives; 23% were his fellow villagers, other 12% were friends and their relatives. According to political analysts, the personnel policy of the head of Chechnya is aimed at strengthening the positions of his family and advancing the interests of the Kadyrov clan.