Ramzan Kadyrov, Russian-Chechen general and politician, 3rd President of the Chechen Republic
Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov (Russian: Рамзан Ахматович Кадыров; Chechen: Къадар Ахьмат-кӏант Рамзан, romanized: Q̇adar Aẋmat-khant Ramzan, [qʼɑːdɑːr ɑːʜmɑːt k’ɑːnt rɑːmzɑːn]; born 5 October 1976) is a Russian and Chechen politician currently serving as the Head of the Chechen Republic. He was formerly a member of the Chechen independence movement.
He is the son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov who switched sides in the Second Chechen War (offering his service to Vladimir Putin's regime in Russia) and became Chechen President in 2003. Akhmad Kadyrov was assassinated in May 2004. In February 2007, Ramzan Kadyrov replaced Alu Alkhanov as president, shortly after he had turned 30, which is the minimum age for the post. He was engaged in violent power struggles with Chechen commanders Sulim Yamadayev (d. 2009) and Said-Kakiyev for overall military authority, and with Alkhanov for political authority. Since November 2015, he has been a member of the Advisory Commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation.Kadyrov rules the Chechen Republic through despotism and repression. Over the years, he has come under criticism from international organisations for a wide array of human rights abuses under his watch, with Human Rights Watch calling the forced disappearances and torture so widespread they constituted crimes against humanity. During his tenure, he has advocated restricting the public lives of women, and led anti-gay purges in the Republic. Ramzan Kadyrov has been frequently accused of involvement in the kidnapping, assassination, and torture of human rights activists, critics, and their relatives, within both Chechnya as well as in other regions of the Russian Federation and abroad, through the political use of police and military forces. He publicly denies these accusations.Kadyrov has adopted a macho image where he frequently poses with guns and military garb, as well as displaying his opulent wealth. The Kadyrov family has enriched itself considerably during its rule of the Chechen Republic. The Russian Federation dispenses extensive funding to the Chechen government. The distinction between the Chechen government and Kadyrov are blurred.