Brutal police operations in Kabardino-Balkaria in recent months have prompted some experts to conclude that the republic’s governor is building a “police republic.” Yuri Kokov has ruled Kabardino-Balkaria since December 2013, although he was officially appointed governor in October 2014. A career police official, Kokov had led key departments in the Russian Ministry of Interior headquarters in Moscow—the Department for Combatting Organized Crime and the Department for Combatting Extremism. Kokov’s critics say he is obsessed with fighting extremism but does little to improve the economic conditions of Kabardino-Balkaria’s people. Police abuse and a worsening economy are a dangerous combination that …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation
