The President of the Caucasus Peoples' Assembly, a public and political figure from Chechnya, who was appointed to the Platform of Russian Democratic Forces at PACE in January of this year as a representative of Russia's indigenous peoples, may be expelled from it.

This was prompted by a speech by Kutayev in which he called so-called "honor killings" a family matter and LGBT minorities "renegades and perverts."

However, this is only part of his controversial statements, which have sparked a huge negative response from various quarters. Novy Dosh magazine reports the details of the scandal.

What happened?

The public's attention was drawn to two consecutive interviews that Ruslan Kutayev gave in March and April. The first was to the Ukrainian channel "Rizni Lyudi," in which, discussing the prospects of a post-Putin Russia, he stated, "We will control Moscow to prevent Moscow from becoming stubborn and harming surrounding nations and states. This is the only way, and there is no other way."

"We won't just return—we'll work in Moscow first. We'll install the government in Moscow that suits us," he said, adding that up to four million Muslims live in the Russian capital. In the same interview, Kutayev discussed his views on Putin's rise to power, blaming "Americans and Zionists."

This video was immediately circulated by ultra-nationalist public groups as "confirmation" of the hidden claims to power of Muslims living in Russia, who have become the focus of a veritable xenophobic spectacle.

The second interview was broadcast on the YouTube channel The Breakfast Show by journalist Alexander Plyushchev, in which he asked Kutayev to clarify his remarks about "taking Moscow." During the conversation, the politician made other statements that caused even more uproar.

Kutayev said that Chechens who openly declare their affiliation with the LGBT community are insulting their families: "If people, for certain reasons, physiologically, position themselves in some way, then they can do their business, but quietly. Well, there's no need to go around declaring that I'm a Chechen, that I'm a Chechen woman, and put us on display, knowing that it offends us."
When asked about "honor killings," he replied that "each family makes its own decision—to kill, to bring home, to marry."

The reaction from Russian liberal circles living abroad was immediate: complaints against Kutayev poured in from several quarters. The human rights group SK SOS demanded Kutayev's removal from PACE. In its statement, the organization stated that his words "effectively legitimize extrajudicial killings, violence, and impunity—this is incompatible with the fundamental principles of human rights."

In an official letter to the PACE Bureau and its Chairperson, SK SOS emphasized: "A platform created to defend democracy, human rights, and freedom cannot be represented by someone who justifies such practices. The right to life is inalienable."

Journalist Renat Davletgildeyev also demanded a comment from PACE and asked: can someone who calls LGBT people "perverts" and refuses to defend them represent the human rights and democratic agenda of the Russian opposition? Furthermore, blogger Vasily Kryukov sent a formal demand to PACE to investigate Kutayev's statements and remove him from office. Platform member Lyubov Sobol stated that she does not share Kutayev's "monstrous" statements "at all."

Sobol also complained: "Even I have faced harassment and rather rude treatment, both as a politician and as a woman. And this wasn't from Kutayev, I'll probably surprise you, it was from Mark Feygin," Sobol said.

Soon, Petra Bair, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, announced the immediate suspension of Ruslan Kutayev's membership as a representative of indigenous peoples in the Russian Opposition Platform at PACE. According to Bair, the Secretariat received several complaints regarding Kutayev's non-compliance with the criteria of the PACE resolution, and after reviewing the evidence, the complaints were found to be justified. The temporary suspension takes effect immediately, and Kutayev's case has been referred to the PACE Bureau, which will make a final decision. For the platform itself, the scandal marks the first serious incident of its kind.

Kutayev's comments were also condemned by other members of the platform. Memorial human rights activist Oleg Orlov called his remarks "absolutely unacceptable words that cannot be tolerated." However, Orlov is confident that Kutayev's membership in the platform must be maintained.

"The possible exclusion of him [Ruslan Kutayev] from the platform is an incorrect, erroneous, and hasty decision," the human rights activist stated.

Through Kutayev, the Council of Europe could alienate the conservative segment of Chechen society instead of working with and "influencing" it, Orlov clarifies.

"Ruslan perceived, saw, and changed his rhetoric before our very eyes—this is an influence on this segment of our Russian, and, well, Chechen, society. [...] Will this [his exclusion] help the women whom Memorial and other organizations rescued from relatives who were ready to kill them? Will Ruslan's exclusion help them? No. Will it help protect LGBT people in Chechnya or within Chechen society? No. On the contrary, it will isolate this segment of society, and our influence on this segment will be reduced to zero," the human rights activist noted.

Another member of the platform, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, called Kutayev's speech a manifestation of the diversity of opinions and the spectrum of views, writing: "The interview contains many different aspects that are worth discussing." Some of his maxims could make sensitive people faint :)."

Ruslan Kutayev himself insists he was misunderstood. He explained his position in a commentary for Novaya Gazeta Evropa: "As an expert, I was asked what the situation was there. I didn't say what I thought. I didn't speak about the position of the Assembly of Peoples of the Caucasus. The question there was: what is the situation in Chechen and Caucasian society? I tried to explain as honestly as possible what the situation is, what categories they think in."

He expressed the same position in a special short broadcast with Alexander Plyushchev. In response to the journalist's direct questions, Kutayev unequivocally replied that he doesn't consider LGBT people perverts, and that only the Almighty can take life.

A gift for Comrade Major?

Kutayev's remarks about Muslims "taking Moscow" in an interview with the Ukrainian YouTube channel "Rizni Lyudi" also drew a wave of criticism. According to him, 3.5-4 million people out of Moscow's 15 million population are practicing Muslims: Caucasians and representatives of Asian ethnic groups, who "will act at the right moment."

Kutayev spoke harshly of other opposition groups, claiming that those counting on Western support are backed only by "students with flashlights." He described his supposed supporters differently: "We have people behind us who, if necessary, will rip off heads, cut off heads, and go to the barricades."

According to him, the goal of such a scenario is to "control Moscow" so that the capital no longer "harms surrounding peoples and states." He added that in the event of an internal crisis, neither side will be able to ignore the forces already organized in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Representatives of Caucasian ethnic groups and natives of Central Asian countries in Russia are seriously concerned by Ruslan Kutayev's words, as they could easily become a repressive tool in the hands of law enforcement. A number of human rights activists are convinced that Kutayev's statements about the "hour X" and millions of "waiting" Muslims could unintentionally expose millions of poorly integrated people from the former Soviet republics, who already find themselves disenfranchised in Russia.

"I can imagine the eyes of the bored security officers lit up as they hammer out criminal cases for likes on someone's post or a careless word. Kutayev's speech is simply a gift for them," wrote human rights activist Alexander Podrabinek.

According to him, this campaign will not affect Kutayev, while several million people he has "enlisted in these fictitious troops" will easily fall under the hammer of repression: "I wouldn't be at all surprised if indictments and sentences now start to include references to Kutayev's stated preparations for a coup d'état." And it doesn’t matter that all this is ridiculous fiction, boastful nonsense and political fiction - it will do for operational development.”

Kutayev himself later softened his language when journalist Alexander Plyushchev asked him to clarify his references to an "army of Muslims." He stated that people from the Caucasus and the Asian republics "do not aspire to power" and "do not aspire to govern Russia," but that "being citizens of the Russian Federation, they can influence the situation."

He noted that "the sentiments of people of Caucasian descent and representatives of the Central Asian republics who are citizens of Russia will have to be taken into account," who, he argued, would be forced to "protect themselves and their families" from the "aggressive actions" that, according to Kutayev, a possible change of power in Russia would entail.

With or without Russia?

Another source of criticism was Ruslan Kutayev's decision to join the PACE platform specifically as part of the Russian democratic forces, which seems somewhat illogical for a public figure who has voiced arguments for the disintegration of Russia. Supporters of Chechen independence condemned this decision, as they believe it effectively signifies recognition of the republic as part of Russia.

Akhmed Zakayev, head of the Ichkerian government-in-exile, also issued a statement on this matter earlier. According to him, the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (CRI) had nothing to do with Ruslan Kutayev's inclusion in the Russian opposition delegation to PACE and did not authorize him to represent the interests of the CRI. Ichkeria views itself as an independent state temporarily occupied by Russia and therefore demands a separate Chechen platform in PACE. Zakayev noted that the issue of its status, de-occupation, and sovereignty can only be resolved through international legal mechanisms and on the basis of the 1997 treaty signed by Boris Yeltsin and Aslan Maskhadov.

Another problem is that Ruslan Kutayev's earlier statements about a possible change of power or the collapse of Russia as a state are inconsistent with his current statements. In January 2018, in an interview with Dozhd, the politician discussed the future of the Caucasus in the event of a possible split in Russia, seemingly positioning himself on the same side as the Russian authorities.
"Do you understand what the Caucasus is? It's a diverse group of religions and people. If this starts in the Caucasus, it will be terrifying. The only networked organization in the Caucasus is the radical Islamists; they have everything well-organized and well-thought-out. Only they can present a united front. What can we counter them with? The [Russian] authorities aren't thinking about this," he reasoned at the time.

What else is Kutayev known for?

Ruslan Kutayev is a politician and public figure. He briefly served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and as president of the Assembly of the Peoples of the Caucasus. In January 2026, he joined the Platform of Russian Democratic Forces at PACE as one of five representatives of Russia's indigenous peoples under a special quota. Kutayev is a former political prisoner. He was detained in Chechnya in 2014, immediately after a conference commemorating the 70th anniversary of the deportation of the Chechen people, which had not been approved by local authorities. He organized the gathering despite Kadyrov's ban on events on the anniversary of the tragedy, February 23. Kutayev was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of "illegally acquiring and possessing drugs." He claimed the drugs were planted on him. Memorial recognized him as a political prisoner, and Amnesty International also named him a prisoner of conscience, citing an unfair trial and fabricated charges "for his public activities."

Kutayev was released in 2017, emigrated from Russia, and continued his public activities abroad. In June 2025, the Russian Ministry of Justice added Kutayev to the register of "foreign agents."

Kutayev had previously attracted attention with controversial and contradictory political statements.

For example, in December 2002, he unexpectedly spoke in Nizhny Novgorod at a meeting of a so-called "association for the nomination of Mikhail Kasyanov as a presidential candidate in the 2004 elections," declaring that he was the one capable of stabilizing the country after the crisis and initiating political reforms. Kutayev, however, noted that Kasyanov himself was unaware of this initiative.

The government and the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation called the proposal to nominate a prime minister directly subordinate to President Putin, who would clearly run for a second term in the next presidential election, a "provocation."

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government Alexei Volin stated that this "was either disinformation or a provocation aimed at discrediting the head of government." Central Election Commission Head Alexander Veshnyakov noted that "such an initiative is completely inconsistent with Russian electoral law."