Journalist leaves Russia after threats from Chechen leader

On March 8, 2013, then First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry honored Russian human rights activist Elena Milashina at the State Department in Washington.

Elena Milashina, a journalist for Russia's Novaya Gazeta, has decided to leave the country temporarily amid death threats from Chechnya's authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

As reported by Dozhd television on February 3, Mirashina says she has been advised to leave the country by her chief editor, Nobel Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, and some "high-level sources" due to the level of danger she faces.

Milashina, who writes about human rights abuses in Chechnya, said she will work from abroad to continue her work.

Kadyrov has openly called Milashina and the human rights council member Igor Kalyapin terrorists, stressing that Chechen authorities "have always liquidated terrorists and their accomplices."

Adam Delimkhanov, another close associate of Kadyrov, also threatened Milashina and Kalyapin earlier this week.

Novaya Gazeta's leadership has asked the Investigative Committee to launch a probe into the Chechen leadership over a charge of inciting hatred, and awaits a response.

Human rights groups in Russia and abroad have accused Kadyrov of overseeing grave abuses of human rights, including abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings, and persecution of the LGBT community for years.

Critics allege that Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned a blind eye to Kadyrov's abuses or violations since he relies on Kadyrov to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya.

*This article contains information sourced from VOA.