MOSCOW: Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov on Friday denied accusations of cruelty after his sons aged 8 to 10 competed in mixed martial arts bouts, claiming he is raising “defenders of Russia.”
He responded after the head of Russia’s mixed martial arts union, Fedor Emelianenko, condemned him for allowing his sons to fight in a televised contest while underage and without protective gear.
The scandal has marred the start of Kadyrov’s third term this week after the former separatist-turned Kremlin loyalist won almost 98 percent in September polls.
Kadyrov parried in a statement on his Instagram: “Fedor, you’re wrong! That’s not how Russian heroes behave!“ He insisted his children took part in an “exhibition match,” saying he did not understand why this “is perceived as horrific.”
Chechens “from childhood raise patriots and defenders of Russia,” said the muscle-bound 40-year-old leader who regularly posts pictures of his gym sessions.
Kadyrov — who at one stage battled the Russian Army as a rebel fighter — is accused of running Chechnya as his personal fiefdom with little oversight from Moscow.
He has brutally suppressed dissent in Chechnya as leader since 2007 and is accused by rights activists of kidnapping and torturing opponents with the help of a private army.
Russia’s Sports Ministry and rights activists have said they will investigate after Kadyrov’s sons Akhmad, Eli and Adam took part in the contest in Grozny on Tuesday, watched by cheering crowds.
The two brothers and other small boys were shown barechested and without helmets kicking and hitting each other on the head.
Kadyrov boasted on Instagram that his eldest son Akhmad, 10, knocked out his opponent in 14 seconds.
Emelianenko said the spectacle was “unacceptable and cannot be justified,” with rules requiring that children wear helmets and protective tops and only compete from the age of 12.
He added he was “really outraged” that this happened as Kadyrov watched in the audience.
Emelianenko, a former world champion, is a member of President Vladimir Putin’s council on developing physical culture and sport.
Kadyrov hits back at critics after sons fight in MMA bouts
Kadyrov hits back at critics after sons fight in MMA bouts
Mick Jagger’s fiancee ‘physically attacked’ at exclusive London club
- Melanie Hamrick, 38, dined with a friend before heading to private members’ club Annabel’s in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, where the incident happened
- The author, choreographer and former ballerina has been in a relationship with the 82-year-old Rolling Stones singer since 2014 and they have a 9-year-old son together
LONDON: Melanie Hamrick, Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger’s fiancee, said she was attacked at an elite and exclusive private member’s club in Mayfair, central London.
The 38-year-old said the incident on Tuesday at Annabel’s in Berkeley Square had left her heartbroken and shaken.
In a message posted later that night on Instagram, she wrote: “This is incredibly hard to share, but I was physically attacked at Annabel’s Mayfair tonight.
“I’m so thankful to my friends for protecting me. Two people grabbed me from behind and thank God for the good people who stepped in to help me.
“I’m shaken, sad and heartbroken that people can treat each other this way.”
The message was deleted a few hours after it appeared.
Hamrick has been in a relationship with 82-year-old Jagger since 2014, and she confirmed in April last year that they became engaged about two or three years earlier. They have a son, Deveraux, who was born in 2016.
Hamrick is a choreographer, author and former ballerina who performed with the American Ballet Theatre for 15 years before retiring in 2019.
Before the incident on Tuesday, she had dined with a socialite friend, Emma Thynn, before heading to Annabel’s. Sources at the venue said staff were not notified of an attack. The Metropolitan Police said it had not receive any report of an incident, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.
The incident is believed to have taken place outside of the club. In the past few weeks there has been a series of daytime heists targeting luxury goods stores across London. It is not known if the incident involving Hamrick was related to these.
However, the area around the prestigious Berkeley Square has become one of the worst in London, and even in Europe, for robberies and street crime, the Daily Mail said. Official figures show that people in the area were 30 times more likely to fall victim to crime compared with those in other parts of the city, the newspaper added.
Numbers of thefts and robberies, mainly of mobile phones, have tripled in London over the past four years, with tens of thousands of reported cases, particularly in the upmarket Mayfair and St James’s areas.
Organized criminal gangs have reportedly been targeting high-value luxury brands such as Rolex and Yves Saint Laurent across London. Some visitors have even hired private security while visiting the city.
Last month, the Daily Mail reported that Tom Cruise, 63, had abruptly moved out of his £35 million ($47 million) luxury apartment in One Hyde Park, a high-rise in West London, over safety fears.
