Biography:
Ramzan Kadyrov (born on 5 October 1976, Tsentoroy village, Chechen-Ingush Autonomous SSR) finished secondary school no.1 in his home settlement now called Tsentora-Yurt (Kurchaloevsky district of Chechnya). In 2004 he graduated from the law faculty of the Makhachkala Institute of Business and Law with honors.
During the first Chechen war he fought against Russian federal forces on the separatists’ side.
1996-2000 advisor and personal bodyguard of his father, a senior Muslim leader and mufti of Chechnya Akhmad-Khadji Kadyrov who called for a jihad against the Russians
In autumn 1999, together with his father, Ramzan joined federal forces.
2000-2003 inspector of communication and weaponry in the staff of special militia platoon of the interior ministry directorate (the unit charged with providing security for Chechen leaders)
2002-2004 acting head of the security service of the Chechen president
2003-2004 deputy interior ministry of Chechnya, member of the state council of the Chechen Republic, representing Gudermes district
On 10 May 2004, the next day after his father’s assassination in the result of bombing of the stadium in Grozny, Kadyrov was appointed deputy prime minister of the Chechen republic
Second half of October 2004 advisor to Dmitry Kozak, the presidential plenipotentiary in the South Federal District, responsible for cooperation with security forces in the district
November 2004 head of the committee for paying indemnities for the war losses
January 2006 head of the Chechen Republic governmental commission for drug control
9 February 2006 secretary of the Chechen regional branch of the United Russia party
In November 2005, after prime minister of the Chechen Republic survived nearly fatal car crash and was unable to work, Ramzan Kadyrov became acting head of the government of the Chechen Republic
On 4 March 2006 Chechen president Alu Alkhanov by his decree appointed Ramzan Kadyrov head of the government of the republic
15 February 2007 acting president of the Chechen Republic
On 2 March 2007 the legislature of the Chechen Republic approved Kadyrov’s nomination to the position of the president of the republic
On 5 April 2007 Kadyrov was sworn in as the president of Chechnya in Gudermes
Awards:
Hero of Russian Federation (2004)
Order of Merit for the Fatherland 4th Grade (2006)
Order of Courage (2003)
2 medals For Distinguished Service in Defense of Public Order (2002 and 2004)
State Duma’s letter of commendation
Medal of Merit for All-Russia Census
Akhmat Kadyrov Order
Order for Development of Parliamentary Rule in the Chechen Republic (2007)
“Defender of the Chechen Republic” Medal (2006)
“10th Anniversary of Astana” Jubilee Medal (Kazakhstan, 2008)
Muslim Al-Fahr Order 1st Grade (Council of muftis of Russia, 2008)
Medal for Participation in Counterterrorist Operation in the Chechen Republic (2006)
Medal for Service in the Caucasus (2006)
Medal for Strengthening Law-Enforcement and Executive System of Russian Federation (2007)
Medal for Development of Agriculture (2011)
“Honour and Dignity” Golden Star, which equals the honorary title “human rights defender” (2007)
“Public Recognition” Diamond Order conferred by the private National Foundation (2007)
“Peace and Constructive Labour” Honorary Badge (2007)
Badge For Achievements in the Field of Culture (2007)
Minister of Culture Aleksandr Sokolov Badge
“Russian Citizen of the Year” Prize in nomination “For Preserving Life on Earth”
“Aqsaqal, or Man of Honour” Prize in nomination “Caucasian politician 2008”
Honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic, honorary worker of the Physical Education, Man of the Year 2004 in Chechen Republic, honorary builder of the Chechen Republic, honorary president the movement of Afghanistan War veterans of the South Federal District, president of Chechen league of the KVN teams (competitions in students’ stand-up comedy)
Major general of police
PhD in economics
Honorary academician of Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (2006)
Honorary academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic (2006)
Honorary professor of the Modern Academy of Humanities (2006)
Honorary professor of Chechen State University (2007)
Source: Wikipedia
Dossier:
After 10 years of severe conflict between the federal forces and the Chechen separatists Akhmad Kadyrov came to power and the Chechens began to do the job of Russian soldiers, the Guardian (UK) claimed in 2003. Four thousand strong personal guard of newly elected president Akhmad Kadyrov, led by his son Ramzan, began to carry out mopping up operations, the fighters of the president guard imprisoning, interrogating, torturing and killing alleged separatists in the name of “stabilizing situation”. Chechnya has entered the worst phase of the conflict when the federal centre looks through the fingers at violence and even provoked it by officially saying that it was the republic’s domestic affair.
Source: Utro.ru, 13 January 2003
Zulay Kadyrova and her three bodyguards were arrested in Khasavyurt (Dagestan) for illegally carrying weapons on 10 January 2005. The same day Zulay’s brother Ramzan Kadyrov with the group of Chechen president’s guardians beat up Dagestan’s policemen and freed Zulay.
Source: Kommersant, 23 March 2007
In 2006 representatives of St Petersburg-based Salolin JSC approached Ramzan Kadyrov and Sulim Yamadayev, the Lieutenant Colonel, commander of Vostok (East) battalion (both Kadyrov and Yamadayev are from Benoi clan). They asked to “help” them get back 54 hectare land plot which had been seized from Salolin by Samson meat factory, owned by Moscow-based Abubabakar Arsamakov’s Moscow Industrial bank.
Kadyrov sent Yamadayev to St Petersburg to sort out conflict situation with the land.
In September 2006 the car with 20 armed people from the North Caucasus stopped in front of the factory. They disarmed the company’s securities at the entrance and put there their own post. The assailants also put fighters at the key points on the way to the main office and cut off communication in the office. Than the man who looked like Sulim Yamadayev entered the office of the director general.
Director general of Samson factory Khamzat Arsamakov (Abubakar Arsamakov’s nephew) was “asked” to sign the document that could solve the conflict in favor of Salolin JSC. Levan Kharazov, head of Salolin, was also present when the armed people talked with Arsamakov. Kharazov came with his own group of fighters.
At 2 am the armed people left the factory. Arsamakov was found lying on the carpet in his office. He was hospitalized. Doctors who examined him said: “He was not beaten, he was tortured”.
Ramzan Kadyrov gave Sulim Yamadayev 2 jeeps and a large sum of US dollars.
Source: Fontanka, 18 September 2006
In 2007 Ramzan Kadyrov was reported to be involved in the conflict over Kislovodsk-based garment factory called Progress. Chechen riot police officers threatened local Cossacks from the private security company with guns: “the factory belongs to president Ramzan Kadyrov”.
Source: Gazeta.Ru, 19 March 2009
Umar S. Israilov, 27, former bodyguard to president Ramzan Kadyrov, was shot in Vienna on 13 January. On 31 January The New York Times published an article, containing Israilov and his father Sharpuddi’s testimony about secret prisons in Chechnya. The Israilovs said that they sake justice and wanted to stop lawlessness of Russian and Chechen authorities. In 2006 they filed a complaint against Russia in the European court of Human Rights.
Umar Israilov testified that during his 10 months service as Kadyrov’s bodyguard in Tsentoroye he had seen at least 20 people secretly kept and tortured there. Many of the prisoners were separatists’ relatives and members of their families.
Israilov was not the first Chechen who filed a lawsuit against Kadyrov of Chechnya. In 2006 Mokhmadsalakh Masayev accused Kadyrov and the administration of the republic of his abduction.
Source: Kavkazsky uzel, 1 February 2009
Concerts of pop singers and corporate events took place in the sports club called Ramzan. The club grew rapidly. Akhmad Kadyrov Foundation sponsored building works: the club opened branches in Tsentoroy and Kurchaloy settlements, and all other countries. Central building of the club in Gudermes became unofficial residence of president Ramzan Kadyrov. This club, as well as Kadyrov's own zoo with leopards, tigers, lions and wolves is the evidence of his eccentricity. According to the information of Skrin company, director of Ramzan sports club is Ramzan Kadyrov, the founder is the administration of the Chechen Republic.
The president's guests who sang «good old songs» at Ramzan club, received gifts and honorary titles. These gifts were called nothing else but Ramzan's gifts.
In 2008 Russian pop singer Sergey Zveryev received gifts worth $100,000 from Ramzan Kadyrov. Another pop star Yana Rudkovskay received a Porsche Cayenne Turbo worth $250,000 as a birthday present. The car was reported by Russian media to be “Ramzan’s gift”. After the scandal broke out, Kadyrov contradicted information about yje costly gift. Being asked by Ekho Moskvy radio station, Kadyrov said: “The car is a gift from a rich businessman. I do not want to reveal his identity”.
In 2007, shortly before his birthday Ramzan Kadyrov bought an Arabian stallion, nicknamed Eselmdish worth 1m roubles, according to Russian media. The media reported that the stallion was bought by Kadyrov as a birthday present for himself.
In 2007 Ramzan Kadyrov presented Chechen interior ministry's SWAT team with 10 VAZ-2110 cars bought by the Akhmad Kadyrov Regional Public Foundation. Commander of the riot police battalion Islam Saidkhasanov received a Toyota Landcruiser-100.
Medal For Services to the Chechen Republic was confered on Aleksandr Maslyukov, the president of international union of the KVN teams (competition in amateur stand-up comedy), by the decree of the Chechen president. The captains of 3 Chechen teams of the KVN received a VAZ-2110 car each - from the Akhmad Kadyrov Regional Public Foundation. The same year Ramzan Kadyrov at once officially gave Russian pop singer Filipp Kirkorov honorary title «the people's artist» of two Caucasus republics - Chechnya and Ingushetiya.
In summer 2006 Ramzan Kadyrov signed a decree to confere honorary title «the people's artist» on Pierre Narcisse, Cameroon-born singer and participant of the First Channel show called Star Factory who gained popularity for his song «Chocolate bunny». Narcisse received an expensive Swiss watch as a gift from the president. The same year Vakhit Usmayev, commander of the special regiment of militia no.2, received Mercedes S500 as a gift from Akhmad Kadyrov Foundation. Ordinary soldiers received a few millions of roubles of help from the same organisation. Ramzan Kadyrov presented the gifts personally.
In January 2005 Kadyrov invited pop singer Natalya Ionova (Glyukoza), popular TV hostess Ksenya Sobchak and Zveri band. The performers' royalties were reported to exceed 5.5m euros. Akhmad Kadyrov Regional Public Foundation was the major sponsor of the event.
Source: Novaya gazeta, 3 July 2008
In 2010 Chechen businessman Isa Yamadayev published an open letter, claiming Ramzan Kadyrov ordered his assassination. Yamadayev refered to the video showing a Khavazha Yusupov, presumably Yamadayev's bodyguard, under interogation. The man said that Ramzan Kadyrov had hired him as an assassin to kill Yamadayev.
On the record which Yasa Yamadayev said he received at the investigative committee the man says that Kadyrov's aide Shaa Turlayev brought him to the president's office. Having threatened to kill members of Yusupov's family, Kadyrov ordered to kill Isa Yamadayev. Yusupov adds that Kadyrov told him that he also hired a hitman to kill Sulim and Ruslan Yamadayev.
On the same video Yusupov claims that Turlayev gave him a gun and money and went to Isa Yamadayev and tried to kill him. He says the Chechen president was going to pay him for Yamadayev's murder.
Source: Lenta.Ru, 21 April 2010
The Chechen Republic has stopped providing Russian army with troops for national service since 1991. However, recently the commissariats have been restored on the territtory of Chechnya. They draft young men for military service and maintain records on military manpower. In 2011 about 7000 men were registered, a few hundreds were sent to the military units of Chechen interior ministry. <…> The reserves for future full-fledged army have already been created in Chechnya.
Source: Tolkovatel, 15 July 2011
The structure of Ramzan Kadyrov's army as of 2011:
The regiment of the Chechen interior ministry for providing security at oil pipelines - so-called oil regiment - 2400-3000 soldiers
SWAT regiment of the Chechen interior ministry - 1600-1800 soldiers
Battalions Sever (North) and Yug (South) of the 46th division of the Russian interior ministry own forces - approximately 2000
2 separate regiments of the road police - 1200-1500 each
City commandants' headquarters companies 500-1000
Two special units within the former 42nd motorized infantry division 300-500
Riot police of the Russia's interior ministry 300 soldiers
Ramzan Kadyrov's personal bodyguards and guardians of Chechen top officials approximately 500 people
Total number of the forces loyal to Ramzan Kadyrov may be between 10-12 thousand people.
Chechnya is the only region in Russia, where the Kremlin agreed to keep local military forces which are under direct control of the head of the republic. Ramzan Kadyrov may raise up to 30 thousand fully equiped troops ready to fight under his banners, according to the sources. This force is loyal to Putin's administration, the analysts say.
Source: Novay gazeta, 24 July 2011