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
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
