Chechen state news agencies have reported that Chechnya’s Minister for Physical Culture and Sports and the eldest son of Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov, Akhmat Kadyrov, has closed 22 ongoing fundraising campaigns organised by the Daimohk Charitable Foundation with a total value of more than ₽18 million ($230,000).
According to the foundation, the funds were directed towards completing campaigns for seriously ill children and adults, as well as for families in difficult life situations. Among the recipients were patients with oncological diseases, people with congenital conditions, and individuals affected by fires.
Representatives of the organisation stated that thanks to Akhmat Kadyrov’s support, emergency campaigns requiring significant sums in a short period were closed. This made it possible to continue treatment and rehabilitation for a number of patients. The foundation’s release expressed gratitude to Akhmat Kadyrov for his ‘prompt assistance’ and noted that he had repeatedly provided similar support in the past.
The press release also stated that Akhmat Kadyrov’s contribution ‘will forever remain an important part of the foundation’s work and will contribute to saving lives’.
At the same time, the origin of the funds remains unclear. OC Media was unable to find Akhmat Kadyrov’s tax declaration on official resources, although he is required to file one annually as a member of the executive branch.
The Daimohk Charitable Foundation, headed by Khamzat Zakriev, was registered in Grozny in 2017 and carries out projects in Chechnya and Bangladesh. In the summer, it reported sending food supplies to the Gaza Strip. According to the foundation’s official website, a total of ₽125 million ($1.6 million) in assistance has been provided over the course of its existence.
In August, Chechen media reported that Akhmat Kadyrov had transferred ₽4.5 million ($57,000) to Dajmohk for the treatment of Mukhammad Omkhaev, who had suffered an intracranial haemorrhage. At the time, it was stated that these were not Kadyrov’s personal funds, but money from the Akhmat-Hadzhi Kadyrov Regional Public Foundation, which is considered the unofficial treasury of the Chechen Head,
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 RFE/RL have reported the existence of an unofficial quota system for regular deductions from public sector workers’ salaries, depending on income level.
Previously, in August, it was reported that all aid to the Gaza Strip would be sent only through three Chechen foundations, including Daimohk. The third son of Ramzan Kadyrov, Adam, who at the time was a minor, was appointed curator of humanitarian aid shipments to Palestine.
Elizaveta Chukharova
