Anti-gay Chechnya leader’s Facebook and Instagram have been suspended
Ramzan Kadyrov has blamed the White House for blocking him
The anti-gay leader of Chechnya has had his Facebook and Instagram accounts suspended.
Ramzan Kadyrov, who is responsible for the country’s shocking anti-gay purge that has left LGBT+ people in fear for their lives, had his social media accounts suspended overnight on Friday (December 22).
According to reports, the Chechen leader took to his second Instagram page in English to explain what had happened in a now-deleted post.
In it, he accused the White House of having a role in the suspension and reached out to Instagram for an explanation but received no response.
He wrote: “They wanted to annoy me, but failed. Which is the only thing that pleases me in the Instagram activity, as well as that of their handlers in the White House.
“I’ve been long thinking to leave that social network, but didn’t want to upset my friends and followers – almost four millions (sic) of them.”
He continued: “Indeed, the Instagram move looks strange. The network has long been pretending to be independent from Washington D.C. and their move came right after the US Treasury sanctions.”
“They might block the accounts, but they will never be able to block Ramzan Kadyrov name – nor the social media, neither their handlers.”
The news comes just days after Kadyrov was barred from the United States for human rights violations.
Under the Magnitsky act, a number of Russian officials will no longer be allowed to enter the country due to the human rights abuses.
Anyone included on the list has had their US assets frozen, and they will be turned away by officials if they try and fly to the US.
Despite the shocking reports regarding the torture and murder of gay men in Chechnya at the hands of officials, President Donald Trump has yet to officially comment.