Kadyrov's critics explain motives for his threats to relatives

Threats to administrators of the Chechen oppositional Telegram channel and pressure on their relatives living in Chechnya are caused by the team's political activeness, the team members have suggested. All the critics of Chechen authorities are in danger, even if there are no direct threats against them, the "Vayfond" association has informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ramzan Kadyrov had stated that relatives of those suspected of extremism should respond for their actions. Later, law enforcers in Chechnya threatened relatives of two people with violence, demanding that they stop criticism of republic's authorities.

In Chechnya, activists' relatives are under pressure; they are prohibited from leaving the region, the administrator of the Telegram channel oppositional to Chechen authorities has stated, noting that "threats began from the moment they became aware of the identities of some members of the channel team."

There has been pressure on activists and their families before, the channel's employees have added. "There were cases when our relatives were taken to police stations ... Their homes were also searched, including with metal detectors," the administrator has added.

In the European Union (EU), there have been no direct threats to activists recently, except for the bloggers, Khasan Khalitov and Tumso Abdurakhmanov; threats against them are permanent, a lawyer for the "Vayfond" association has noted.

There are still a significant number of Kadyrov's supporters in Europe, against whom there are no expulsion threats, despite their activities that potentially threaten the EU security, the "Vayfond" has stated.