Chechen leader and horse-racing enthusiast Ramzan Kadyrov has once again provoked outrage from human rights activists -- this time in Australia -- as he prepares two of his personal horses to race in the upcoming Melbourne Cup, according to Australian press reports.
Kadyrov’s two horses are currently being trained in England, but many believe that given the Chechen president’s alleged human rights abuses, he shouldn't be allowed to enter the November race.
The "Sydney Morning Herald" reported that the federal government has said that Kadyrov will probably not be issued a visa to enter the country.
But head of the Green Party Bob Brown has called for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to ban both Kadyrov and his horses, saying that it would be “the lowest point in Australia’s sporting history” were his horses to win the cup.
Kadyrov, who prefers to buy English horses, owns several stables around the world and regularly participates in the major races in Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
One of Kadyrov’s former groomers, Mahdi Larnia, is now standing trial in Dubai for the March murder of Chechen military leader and Hero of Russia award recipient (and bitter political rival of Kadyrov) Sulim Yamadayev.
-- Byron Asher
Kadyrov’s two horses are currently being trained in England, but many believe that given the Chechen president’s alleged human rights abuses, he shouldn't be allowed to enter the November race.
The "Sydney Morning Herald" reported that the federal government has said that Kadyrov will probably not be issued a visa to enter the country.
But head of the Green Party Bob Brown has called for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to ban both Kadyrov and his horses, saying that it would be “the lowest point in Australia’s sporting history” were his horses to win the cup.
Kadyrov, who prefers to buy English horses, owns several stables around the world and regularly participates in the major races in Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
One of Kadyrov’s former groomers, Mahdi Larnia, is now standing trial in Dubai for the March murder of Chechen military leader and Hero of Russia award recipient (and bitter political rival of Kadyrov) Sulim Yamadayev.
-- Byron Asher