Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov has granted Mohamed Salah honourary citizenship in a move that could see the Egyptian winger fall under fresh scrutiny after recently posing for a photo with the controversial politician.
Chechnya has been hosting the Egyptian team’s World Cup training camp and Kremlin-backed Kadyrov has seized on opportunities to appear alongside Salah, whose goalscoring exploits for Liverpool and Egypt have made him an international superstar.
“Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic. Yes, that’s right! Tonight I signed a decree conferring this high award on the great footballer and member of the Egypt and Liverpool teams,” Kadyrov wrote on Telegram.
Salah was presented with a badge and a copy of the decree at a farewell banquet held for the eliminated side on Friday night, Kadyrov said.
The Egyptian team’s press officer has not replied to emailed requests for comment.
Salah sparked controversy earlier this month after posing for a photo with Kadyrov during an Egypt training session.
The Chechnya leader had attended the session in Grozny on 10 June and, after watching for about 30 minutes, drove to the squad’s hotel where Salah, nursing a shoulder injury, was relaxing in his room.
Kadyrov reportedly asked Salah to accompany him back to the stadium, where the two posed for photos and greeted the 5,000 fans watching Egypt practice.
According to the FA, the Chechen “leadership” also sent a large cake to the team hotel on 15 June to mark Salah’s 26th birthday.
Kadyrov took charge of Chechnya in 2007, backed by the Kremlin to impose tight control in the Muslim region where Russia has fought two brutal and costly wars to crush separatists since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Rights groups and Western governments allege that authorities in Chechnya repress their political opponents, discriminate against women and persecute sexual minorities, all allegations that Chechnya’s leaders deny.
In an interview with the BBC this week, Kadyrov denied human rights abuses and laughingly rejected the idea he was using the presence of Salah for propaganda purposes.
“We don’t use this kind of thing for politics. Our enemies are paid to write articles like that. I didn’t invite Mohamed Salah or the Egyptian team, they chose us themselves,” he said.
