Ramzan Kadyrov expressed his desire to remain as the head of Chechnya for life

^{Photo: AFP}
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya since 2007, has announced his intention to rule the republic for life. His term of office expires in 2026, and the country's legislation does not provide for its extension.

The Kremlin has been silent on the matter

After the death of the first pro-Russian president of Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, in a terrorist attack in 2004, his son claimed the right to succeed him, but federal law did not allow Ramzan to be confirmed to the post due to his age. Kadyrov was 30 at the time. The Chechen State Council appealed to the Kremlin to reduce the number of people with disabilities, but the law was not changed for Kadyrov Jr.

According to Oleg Orlov, a former political prisoner and co-chair of the Memorial Human Rights Center, Ramzan Kadyrov's own inadequacy led to such a statement. Orlov previously often visited Chechnya and once sued the head of the republic, who had accused the human rights activist of slander, and at that time won the court case.

For several years, Kadyrov has been committing absolutely wild and stupid actions that are beyond the scope of common sense. I also attribute this to the long-term illness of the "ruler of Chechnya". Sometimes he awards his son with orders, appoints him to high positions, and achieves that his heir is awarded by the heads of other regions. This causes only laughter and muted indignation from everyone. This is obvious inadequacy. He clearly wants to ensure continuity in this way, he added.

Orlov emphasized that “Kadyrov really cares about retaining the reins of power for the rest of his life, and then his family will rule the republic. They will find a way to extend his term. They will think of a law. The necessary changes will be made to the legislation “as an exception”, it is not a problem.”

Kadyrov’s decision was certainly motivated by the desire to extend his term and retain power. No matter how much he distributes high positions to his descendants and appoints relatives to various positions, if Kadyrov leaves power, the clan will be in danger, said Sergei Lukashevsky, editor-in-chief of Sakharov Radio.
In December 2024, the Russian president awarded Kadyrov the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree.

The award was presented with the description "For a great contribution to the strengthening of Russian statehood, the strengthening of the country's defense capabilities, and the socio-economic development of the Chechen Republic."

The Order "For Services to the Fatherland" has four degrees, the first of which is the highest. Kadyrov was awarded the fourth (2006), third (2021), and second degrees of this award. The decree on awarding Kadyrov with the second degree of this order was signed by the president in February. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!