Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has withdrawn his libel claims against Russian human rights activists who accused him of involvement in the death of a colleague, the president's spokesman said on Tuesday.
Alvi Karimov said Kadyrov stopped pursuing legal action after repeated requests from Russian statesmen, religious leaders and his mother, Aimani Kadyrova.
In July, Oleg Orlov, the director of the Russian rights group Memorial, had accused Kadyrov of involvement in the murder of rights activist Natalya Estemirova in the troubled North Caucasus republic.
Kadyrov filed a libel suit against the Memorial and Orlov, and the court partially upheld the claim, ordering that a total of 70,000 rubles ($2,350) be paid to Kadyrov in damages. Both Kadyrov and Orlov appealed the decision.
Estemirova, a leading Memorial researcher in Chechnya, was abducted outside her home in Grozny, Chechnya's capital, on July 15 and found shot dead in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia later the same day.
Her murder, which sparked international outrage, was followed three weeks later by the killings of Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov, who both worked for a Chechen charity.
"Aimani Kadyrova has repeatedly asked her son to be reasonable and withdraw libel suits against Oleg Orlov, taking into account his senior age," Karimov said, adding that the Chechen people have always prided themselves on the traditional values of respect and care for the old.
Kadyrova is the director of the Akhmad Kadyrov Charity Fund, which cares for orphans, seniors and disabled people across Russia.
GROZNY, February 9 (RIA Novosti)