Citizens of Russia detained in Turkey amid conflict between Chechen authorities and Kadyrov’s critics

Khasan Khalitov, a critic of Ramzan Kadyrov, claimed that natives of Chechnya detained in Turkey were planning to kill him. According to the Turkish investigators’ version, six citizens of Russia were engaged in espionage for political and military purposes.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Khasan Khalitov, a blogger from Chechnya, living in Turkey, and Ilman Mamakaev, who migrated to the EU, reported that Chechen law enforcers kidnapped their relatives living in the republic and Moscow for several days in early September. Khasan Khalitov also claimed that the Chechen authorities were behind the declaration of blood feud on him and several families in Chechnya.

Six citizens of Russia were detained in Turkey, and according to blogger Khasan Khalitov, one of the detainees might be an organizer of the assassination attempt on him.

“I’ve got information from several people that he was looking for a person who would carry out the assassination attempt and offered money for my murder,” Khasan Khalitov told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

According to a source from the Turkish police, all six detainees are natives of Chechnya. The source confirms that those people are suspected of preparing attempts on the lives of foreigners living in Turkey, the RIA “Novosti” reports today.

The special operation to detain the suspected citizens of Russia took place early in the morning on October 8. Officers from the Anti-Terror Branch of the Istanbul Police and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) appeared at three addresses in Istanbul and two addresses in Antalya. According to the investigators’ version, six citizens of Russia were engaged in espionage for political and military purposes. The detained suspects were all taken into custody, the Turkish news agency DHA reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 11, 2021 at 03:42 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.