ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the issues of institutional violence perpetrated in Chechnya under Ramzan Kadyrov. It aims to contribute to understanding this high level of violence in an area that is no longer at war, or totally at peace. The chapter does not deals directly with that issue but rather addresses the way that security forces act within a context which, over the years, has become dominated more by the police than the military. It analyzes how this ambiguity manifests itself in the practice of police violence against individuals and targeted groups, on the basis of witness statements collected by human rights organizations. The chapter considers police practices in Chechnya within the framework of a study of police violence throughout Russia. Human rights organizations still working in Chechnya continue to report frequent cases of serious violations committed by police officers during operations against the civilian population.
