HELPING HAND FOR KADYROV’S SON

Publication: North Caucasus Weekly Volume: 4 Issue: 22

HELPING HAND FOR KADYROV’S SON

Despite Akhmad Kadyrov’s sometimes tense relations with Russia’s security agencies, he still has enough clout to get a high-ranking FSB officer to intervene on behalf of his son Zelimkhan. Novaya gazeta reported on June 16 that Oleg Dukanov, head of the FSB directorate for the Stavropol Krai in southern Russia, has given local authorities in Kislovodsk a statement defending Zelimkhan from charges of attempted rape and starting a gunfight (see Chechnya Weekly, June 12). Dukanov claimed that the young Kadyrov did not have any weapons on his person, and had only arrived at a gunfight started by others and tried to break it up.

However, according to the newspaper’s sources in the Kislovodsk police, when the young Kadyrov was arrested he was found to have a pistol with five magazines, containing a total of 100 rounds of ammunition. His two companions were similarly armed. Each of his companions had fired five to seven rounds, but Kadyrov had fired forty-five of his 100.