Man whose house burned down after criticizing Chechen officials now apologizes to Chechen ruler

Ramzan Dzhalaldinov lives in Chechnya in a village called Kenkhi. In April 2016, he publicly accused local officials of extorting the community and failing to make basic repairs around town. On May 13, Dzhalaldinov's house burned down. His wife says the family was forced from their home before the blaze and sent from Chechnya, to the neighboring Republic of Dagestan. Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's authoritarian leader, accused Dzhalaldinov of setting the fire himself, in order to discredit the government.

This week, Dzhalaldinov publicly apologized to Kadyrov, saying he made a “very big mistake” by trying to “provoke the people.” He says he wants to return to Kenkhi, where local officials have reportedly promised to offer him “all necessary assistance to rebuild his home.”

Previously, the residents of Kenkhi write Vladimir Putin an open letter apologizing for Dzhalaldinov's behavior, saying he was always disliked in town, and accusing him of trying to stage a political provocation.

Explaining that “everyone is fallible,” Kadyrov posted a video of Dzhalaldinov apologizing. The Chechen leader also warned that “dangerous forces” intended to use Dzhalaldinov in their “information attack” on Chechnya. Kadyrov blamed these nefarious agents for scaring Dzhalaldinov and his family from their home. “Ramzan [Dzhalaldinov] found the strength and wisdom to realize what was happening,” Kadyrov wrote, “and he didn't succumb to their tricks.”