Authorities in Chechnya have temporarily halted the activities of ‘various charitable organisations collecting funds for residents of Palestine’. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Akhmed Dudaev, Chechnya’s Minister for National Policy, Foreign Relations, Press and Information, via his Telegram channel, who stated that the decision was due to risks related to the use of donations and to ‘non-transparent aid delivery channels’.
‘There is a risk that some aid may not reach the victims or may fall into the hands of banned organisations,’ Dudaev wrote.
He also noted that the physical distance between donors and recipients, and the involvement of intermediaries, contributed to the decision. According to Dudaev, all charitable initiatives must now be carried out ‘only through verified channels’.
Dudaev did not specify which organisations were affected by the restriction. He also did not clarify on what legal basis private charitable initiatives were being blocked and gave no specific examples of wrongdoing. However, he stated that targeted support for Palestinian residents is being provided through the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation.
The Kadyrov Foundation is the main official charitable structure in Chechnya. The organisation regularly publishes reports on delivering humanitarian aid to the area affected by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
According to the republic’s authorities, the foundation sent hundreds of tonnes of humanitarian cargo to Gaza and the West Bank, including medicine, food, and essential supplies. The foundation does not disclose the amount of financial donations sent.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, Chechen authorities have demonstrated consistent support for the Palestinian side. Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, has repeatedly issued strong criticisms of Israel and called on the Muslim world not to remain indifferent to the suffering of Palestinians.
‘I appeal to the international community to, for once, adopt a fair decision on the situation in Palestine. I appeal to the leaders of Muslim countries — form a coalition and call on those you refer to as your friends, Europe and the entire West, not to bomb civilians under the pretext of eliminating militants,’ Kadyrov wrote on Telegram in October 2023 shortly after the conflict began.
The Chechen Ministry for Youth Affairs has organised mass flash mobs and prayers in support of Palestine involving schoolchildren and students.
The Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation has repeatedly published videos of lorries being unloaded with humanitarian aid in Egypt, from where, according to Chechen authorities, the aid was sent to the Gaza Strip. However, no independent source has confirmed that the assistance actually reached civilians in Gaza. Deliveries are carried out across a closed border under Egyptian control.
The total amount of aid sent by Chechnya is not precisely known, but Dudaev specified in his statement that at present, about ₽600 million ($7.5 million) have been sent to those in need.
The Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation is under sanctions by both the US and the EU. It is listed by the US Treasury as an entity ‘associated with human rights violations and the corrupt use of budgetary resources’.
According to human rights organisations, including Memorial, the foundation regularly receives ‘donations’ from state and municipal employees under the threat of dismissal. Internal sources cited by Russian independent media outlet Novaya Gazeta and the US-funded outlet RFE/RL have reported the existence of an unofficial quota system for regular deductions from public sector workers’ salaries, depending on income level.
Chechen authorities have never officially confirmed the coercive nature of these donations, but have also not denied their regularity. According to an investigation by the Russian independent media outlet Proekt, the foundation operates as a parallel budget for the Chechen Republic, used to fund foreign delegations, mosque construction, and activities outside the region.
Elizaveta Chukharova
