LETTER FROM MOSCOW
Russia's latest celebrity is 15 years old, with the chubby face of a teenager and the perpetually cheerful smile of someone for whom life is a party. Before appearing in the spotlight, Adam Kadyrov was concentrating on his passion: Mixed martial arts (MMA). He's been competing since the age of 8 – since then, no judge has ever thought of declaring him the loser – or attending prestigious meetings linked to the sport, in Dubai or elsewhere. These also give him the opportunity to borrow the private jet that belongs to his father – the leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Just for good measure, Ramzan Kadyrov did send Adam and two of his brothers to "fight" in Ukraine in the autumn of 2022 – according to their father, they each brought back a Ukrainian prisoner. But it was the publication of a video on Telegram, in which Adam punches and kicks a prisoner, that propelled him into the spotlight at the end of September. The young prisoner is a student by the name of Nikita Zhuravel, originally from Volgograd, who had filmed himself burning a Quran a few months earlier. His transfer to Chechnya had already taken place beyond any legal procedure.
Young Adam's "feat" drew praise and "pride" from his father, who posted the video on social media. Since then, all of the leading political and religious figures in this small territory belonging to the Russian Federation have expressed their admiration. And Adam has been given many awards, starting with the title of "Hero of Chechnya." On November 5, the teenager was appointed head of Chechen presidential security.
In light of local, and even Russian, practices, this is no exception. The children of the Russian elite accumulate positions of responsibility, especially lucrative ones, and in Chechnya, Kadyrov's children are already in charge. Two of Adam's sisters are ministers – three months after her appointment to the health service, Khutmat Kadyrova was already decorated at 20 years of age for "her immense contribution to the development of medicine in the region."
More interesting is the way in which the case has spilled beyond the borders of Chechnya. More than a month after the beating, no official body, local or federal, has deigned to open an investigation – even though it was filmed. As usual, the Kremlin has remained silent. "I don't feel like talking about it," said its spokesman, Dmitry Peskov. Moreover, authorities in other regions had to join in the chorus of praise for the teenager. To date, Adam Kadyrov has received decorations ("For courage," "For his merits," "For his defense of the faith," etc.) from the authorities of five different Russian regions: Chechnya, Tatarstan, Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria, all of which are Muslim majority states.
You have 55% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.