Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya known for systematic human rights violations in that region, has appointed his fifteen-year-old son, Adam, as head of his security service.
"I wholeheartedly congratulate (...) Adam Kadyrov on his appointment to the important position of head of the security department of the leader of the Chechen Republic," Chechen Health Minister Adam Alkhanov reported on Telegram.
"Despite his youth, he already has great practical experience" and has a "strong warrior spirit", so "nothing will stop him when it comes to defending his father, his people, his religion and his homeland," it can be read. in the statement.
Adam Kadyrov, decorated for "his merits" in both Chechnya and Tatarstan, became the subject of controversy last September after posting a video on social media in which he beat up a Russian arrested for burning the Koran.
The Chechen leader gave his son a boost and said he was proud of his conduct, while the Russian authorities preferred to ignore the incident.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given Kadyrov free rein to run the southern Muslim region as a personal fiefdom in exchange for keeping it stable and loyal after wars in the 1990s and 2000s in which he tried to break away from Moscow.
Kadyrov has cultivated an image as a ruthless ally of Putin and an aggressive cheerleader for Russia's war in Ukraine, but some commentators suggested he had crossed a line by supporting his son Adam's attack on prisoner Nikita Zhuravel as he cowered in a chair.
