Tatarstan lawmaker apologizes after criticizing Ramzan Kadyrov for praising son who beat defenseless prisoner
Speaking at a session of Tatarstan's State Council on Thursday, United Russia deputy Azat Khamayev made a critical reference to the beating of detainee Nikita Zhuravel by Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov’s son Adam.
In a discussion about a bill on patriotic education, the lawmaker said the following:
The first question I asked myself was this: What legal framework do we live in? The head of a Russian subject awards the title of ‘Hero’ to his son for beating a man. Then, developing his idea further, he says that he’s a hero to all Muslims. Who can answer?
After these comments, Khamayev changed the subject and began talking about other issues. None of the other deputies at the session commented on his statements about Kadyrov.
Later on Thursday, Tatarstan Governor Rustam Minnikhanov said in a statement that Khamayev’s comments reflect the deputy’s personal opinion and “bear no relation to the position of Muslims of the republic.” Shortly after, media outlets began circulating an apology from Khamayev:
Speaking at the State Council session, I expressed a purely personal opinion, which wasn’t supported by my colleagues. I apologize for my emotional statement, which had the potential to damage relations between fraternal nations.
