Support The Moscow Times!

Kadyrov Invites All His Instagram Critics to Chechnya for Discussion

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has offered an all-expense paid trip to Chechnya for members of the Instagram photo-sharing service who dislike his government, he announced Thursday.

"I issued an order to gather those Instagram users who relate negatively to the politics and actions of the Chechen government, and not only from Chechnya, but from all of Russia and from abroad. We will hold a discussion with them," Kadyrov wrote on his Instagram page.

Kadyrov also offered to pay all travel expenses for visitors, as well as housing for the duration of their visit.

The announcement comes immediately after Kadyrov expressed disappointment in a meeting held earlier Thursday with other Internet users.

He said all the questions posed at that meeting were "superficial," and that many of those taking part in the discussion didn't even understand the issues at hand.

"I want everyone to watch this meeting on television and draw the following conclusion: You need to learn to think before you voice a problem," he said, "to find its roots, analyze it, compare the various ways out of the situation."

"All these questions were redundant, senseless or baseless."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more