Chechens who fought Russians welcomed back home if they renounce extremism, says Chechen Governor Kadyrov
During a speech broadcast on national television, Ramzan Kadyrov conveyed that Chechens who fought against the Russians could return without fear. However, there is one caveat. To avoid imprisonment, they should ask for forgiveness and ''repudiate extremist views.''
1:38 PM EST, December 17, 2023
Anton Heraszczenko, advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, shared a snippet of Kadyrov's speech on the X portal (previously Twitter).
"Any Chechen who fought with Russian troops in the 90s and 2000s, can return home. According to Kadyrov, if they request forgiveness from the current Chechen authorities and disavow extremist views, they won't have to serve a prison sentence or comply with any other sanctions," is what we read in the description of the posted video.
Recall that the first Chechen war commenced on December 11, 1994, following Russian troops' attack on Chechnya under President Boris Yeltsin's orders. During the war, 5,552 Russian soldiers, 17,391 Chechen combatants, and some tens of thousands of civilians tragically lost their lives.
Despite the Russians’ hopes for a swift victory, they struggled to quell the Chechen fighters. Eventually, peace was reestablished under a truce in 1996.
The conflict escalated again in 1999. This time, the war resulted in the Chechen Republic's full reintegration with the Russian Federation and the issue of search warrants for Chechen to participate in the conflict.
Kadyrov compliments Putin
For over two decades, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov demonstrated loyalty to the Russian dictator. Many describe him as Putin's "puppet," though he personally prefers being referred to as Putin's "faithful foot-soldier". However, it's notable that while Kadyrov fought against Russian forces during the first Chechen war, he sided with them during the second.
Recently, Kadyrov voiced his reflection on the recent statements made by the President of Russia.
"Putin bears an enormous responsibility for not only Russia's fate but also for the future of the entire global community", said the Chechen leader, as quoted by Interia.
