Neo-Nazis from the Espanyola PMC, owned by the Rotenbergs, accused Kadyrov of lying and demanded an apology to Bastrykin

The Espanyola PMC, owned by Vladimir Putin’s friends, the Rotenberg brothers, and known for their neo-Nazi views, issued a statement in support of the head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vladimir Kolokoltsev. The conflict arose after the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said on a direct line that these officials were “sitting in the wrong places” when commenting on the case of 14-year-old Chechen teenager Muslim Murdiev, accused of hooliganism.

“The military organization Espanyola, together with all our rear structures and the fan communities that support us, believes that Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov needs to apologize for the insults, lies and attempts made to the heads of law enforcement agencies with his administrative resources to cover up pronounced juvenile criminals who attacked their peers based on nationality,” the statement says.

Espanyol also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that federal officials and politicians did not react to Kadyrov’s statements, with the exception of two regional deputies from the Krasnodar Territory, who, they claim, soon came under pressure.

Neo-Nazis said that such speeches by the head of Chechnya “undermine national security” and violate the principle of equality of all before the law. They called on Kadyrov to apologize for his words and emphasized that the organization is ready to defend the interests of the state both at the front and within the country.

What is Espanola?

“Hispaniola” is a Russian armed formation participating in the war against Ukraine. It was created in the spring of 2022 as part of the Vostok battalion of the self-proclaimed DPR. Since 2023, recruitment to “Hispaniola” has been carried out through the private military company “Redut” , and starting from 2024, the formation has become part of the “Volunteer Corps” of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation as the 88th reconnaissance and sabotage brigade.

According to an investigation by the publication “Important Stories”, the organization may be connected with the state corporation Russian Railways and the brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, who are close to Vladimir Putin. In the summer of 2024, Espanola registered as Espanola LLC, providing security consulting.

Espanyola is made up of football ultras, a significant number of whom adhere to neo-Nazi views. The head of the formation is Stanislav “Spaniard” Orlov, a former member of the Red-Blue Warriors fan group and a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict since 2014.

Who else stood up for Bastrykin

Earlier, Krasnodar deputies Sergei Klimov and Sergei Kusmakov called on Ramzan Kadyrov to apologize to Alexander Bastrykin. Sergei Kusmakov in his Telegram channel said that he is outraged that the head of the region allows himself to “point out the place” to the chairman of the Investigative Committee:

“I am outraged that the head of the region allows himself to “point out the place” to the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin. He protects us, our country. We must protect him."

Another deputy, Sergei Klimov, wrote that he fully supported Kusmakov. And he reminded that not a single person in our country “has the right to tell” the head of the RF IC “what to do”; only the “President” is endowed with this right:

“I fully support my brother and deputy Sergei Kusmakov! No one has the right to tell Alexander Ivanovich what to do except the President! We won’t let Bastrykin offend.”

Deputies launched a common hashtag. Kadyrov has not yet responded to the statements of the Krasnodar deputies.

Case of Muslim Murdiev

Chechen Muslim Murdiev became the main accused in a criminal case related to participation in four fights in Moscow that occurred in an hour and a half near the Aviapark shopping center. However, judging by video recordings published by the Investigative Committee, Murdiev participated in only one fight, where, according to his lawyer, he defended himself from an attack. The Insider's sources familiar with the case believe that the investigation is biased and increases interethnic tensions, since in addition to Murdiev, only teenagers from Central Asia were accused in this case.

Muslim's family and lawyers claim that the boy was wrongly accused, ignoring evidence of his innocence. The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, expressed support for him, saying that the case would lead to interethnic tension. A petition has been launched in defense of the teenager, and the case is being supervised by the Human Rights Commissioner in Chechnya. Despite the criticism, the investigation remains in its position, not taking into account the examination confirming threats to Muslim from other participants in the conflicts.