The head of the government of Ichkeria in exile, Akhmed Zakayev, who was in Ukraine at the time, addressed his compatriots in Chechen in connection with the mobilization, calling on everyone who could potentially be affected by it to leave the country if possible, or even prefer prison to participating in the war against Ukraine as part of Russian army, because, in his opinion, “this is the only way you can protect yourself and your families.”
“The current moment is one of the tragic ones in our history,” Zakayev said. He is convinced that what is happening is primarily to blame for “those ruling persons in the republic who, speaking in the Chechen language, pronouncing the name of the Almighty, calling themselves true Muslims, using propaganda means for more than twenty years claiming that they are taking care of, protecting from unnecessary victims and reviving the people, attracted young people into their evil [power] structures, and today they are driving them here [to Ukraine] for slaughter and destroying them in vain.”
“Someday they will be overtaken by just retribution, the punishment of Allah for the cruel violence committed against the people, but we do not know exactly when this will happen. However, there is no doubt that this is inevitable,” the politician threatened.
He assures that in Ukraine “forces [Chechen volunteer battalions] are mobilizing, which today defend the statehood of Ukraine, but in the future they intend to liberate our people and bring to justice those who unjustly oppress them and commit violence against them.”
Akhmed Zakaev believes that any person who goes to fight against Ukraine with arms in hand “will have to bear responsibility for these atrocities,” and “explanations like “we were forced” cannot serve as an excuse for anyone.”
According to him, “the war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine is directed not only against the Ukrainian people, but also against the Chechen and other peoples of the Caucasus, since he is driving representatives of the Caucasian and other ethnic groups here for slaughter.”