MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2022) Statements made by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov calling Russian Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina a terrorist, are out of tune with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) commitments on freedom of press, the OSCE representative on freedom of the media, Teresa Ribeiro, said on Monday.
"Calling #Russia @novaya_gazeta journalist Elena Milashina a terrorist, like Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov recently did, is dangerous & harmful and goes against #OSCE commitments regarding #mediafreedom. Such blatant intimidation & harassment of a journalist cannot be tolerated," Ribeiro posted on Twitter.
Earlier on Monday, Kadyrov on his Telegram channel called Milashina and the chairperson of the committee against torture of the Russian council for civil society and human rights, Igor Kalyapin, terrorists. He claimed that they are "making money on topics of Chechen Republic and Chechens by creating scenarios and whispering texts and behaviors into ears of their characters." Kadyrov called on law enforcement bodies to "detain these terrorists."
Kalyapin told Sputnik on Monday that Kadyrov's accusation of terrorism is his "favorite name-calling," and added that the Chechen leader's Telegram channel in very deed contains "offensive and vile words."
Later on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Kadyrov's statements do not represent the position of the Chechen Republic. Peskov added that Kalyapin and Milashina have the right to defend their reputation in court in the event of direct threats from Kadyrov.
