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Karaulova's case shows importance of fighting against extremism online — Kadyrov

Chechnya's head Ramzan Kadyrov said that countering extremist ideologies online was one of the key methods that allowed to defeat terrorism in Chechnya
Chechnya's head Ramzan Kadyrov Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Chechnya's head Ramzan Kadyrov
© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. /TASS/. The case of Varvara Karaulov (Alexandra Ivanova) demonstrates the importance of stepping up work to counter extremists on the internet, Chechnya's head Ramzan Kadyrov told Channel One.

"Everybody has a cell phone in their pocket, and if they get access to certain websites, they see ideologies of wahhabism and extremism. That's why fighting against this type of content online is important, so that children couldn't easily access those websites and read this nonsense. We need to work on this," Kadyrov said. "The fact that she [Karaulova] got caught up in this is our fault - the fault of regions, of the government. It means we are not working effectively," he added.

Kadyrov said that countering extremist ideologies online was one of the key methods that allowed to defeat terrorism in Chechnya. "We are engaged in an ideological fight against evil day and night - in mosques, in schools, universities. We have a task force working on the internet, going to extremist websites and trying to prove to people there that they are wrong, that what they do has nothing to do with religion, with Islam," he noted.

On April 16, the Vologda City Court has satisfied a motion to grant parole to Varvara Karaulova (Alexandra Ivanova) convicted for attempting to join the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia).

On May 27, 2015, Varvara Karaulova flew from Moscow to Istanbul without informing her parents. Upon arrival in Turkey, she was met and transported to a safe house in Kilis, in the southcentral part of the country. Later on, she was taken into custody by security services, while attempting to cross the border illegally. The girl was repatriated on June 12, 2015, and was arrested in the autumn of the same year. In December 2016, the Moscow District Military Court sentenced Karaulova to four years and six months in a penal colony. The court’s ruling was appealed, but the Russian Supreme Court’s Appellate Chamber ruled that the sentence was lawful.