The controversial head of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, has been decorated as an "honored human rights defender of the Chechen Republic." He was cited for "outstanding services in the defense of the constitutional rights and liberties of the citizenry," according to Russian state media on March 24. Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya since 2007, has been widely accused of mass rights abuses, including torture, abductions, disappearances, extrajudicial executions, the assassination of political enemies, and the persecution of homosexuals. Kadyrov has more than 30 high state honors. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Chechnya's Kadyrov Decorated For Defending Human Rights
Ramzan Kadyrov has been widely accused of mass rights abuses.