Editing Chechnya (section)

===Post-war reconstruction and insurgency===
[[File:RU034 09.jpg|thumb|[[Postage stamps and postal history of Russia|Postage stamp]] issued in 2009 by the [[Russian Post]] dedicated to Chechnya]]
[[File:Minutka Square 37.jpg|thumb|Minutka Square, Grozny]]

Chechen separatists continued to fight Russian troops and conduct terror attacks after the occupation of Grozny.<ref>{{cite book|first=Andrew|last=Meier|year=2005|title=Chechnya: To the Heart of a Conflict|location=New York|publisher=W. W. Norton|isbn=0393327329|pages=123-125}}</ref> In October 2002, 40–50 Chechen rebels [[Moscow theater hostage crisis|seized a Moscow theater]] and took about 900 civilians hostage.<ref name="Encarta 2008" /> The crisis ended with 117 hostages and up to 50 rebels dead, mostly due to [[Moscow hostage crisis chemical agent|an unknown aerosol]] pumped into the building by Russian special forces to incapacitate the people inside.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2365383.stm |title=Gas 'killed Moscow hostages' |work=BBC News |date=27 October 2002 |access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2602945.stm "Moscow court begins siege claims"]. ''[[BBC News]]''. 24 December 2002.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Moscow hostage relatives await news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2364873.stm |access-date=30 May 2011 |publisher=BBC News |date=27 October 2002}}</ref>

In response to these attacks, Russia tightened its grip on Chechnya and expanded its anti-terrorist operations throughout the region. Russia installed a pro-Russian Chechen regime. In 2003, a referendum was held on a constitution that reintegrated Chechnya within Russia but provided limited autonomy. According to the Chechen government, the referendum passed with 95.5% of the votes and almost 80% turnout.<ref>{{cite news |last=Aris |first=Ben |title=Boycott call in Chechen poll ignored |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/1425501/Boycott-call-in-Chechen-poll-ignored.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/1425501/Boycott-call-in-Chechen-poll-ignored.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=22 April 2013 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=24 March 2003 |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''[[The Economist]]'' was skeptical of the results, arguing that "few outside [[Moscow Kremlin|the Kremlin]] regard the referendum as fair".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Putin's proposition |magazine=The Economist |date=25 March 2003 |url=http://www.economist.com/node/1651376 |access-date=22 April 2013 }}</ref>

In September 2004, separatist rebels [[Beslan school hostage crisis|occupied a school]] in the town of [[Beslan]], [[North Ossetia]], demanding recognition of the independence of Chechnya and a Russian withdrawal. 1,100 people (including 777 children) were taken hostage. The attack lasted three days, resulting in the deaths of over 331 people, including 186 children.<ref name="Encarta 2008" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/russia/media_4875.html |title=August 31, 2006: Beslan – Two Years On |access-date=4 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404112922/http://www.unicef.org/russia/media_4875.html |archive-date=4 April 2009 }}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4207112.stm "Putin meets angry Beslan mothers"]. ''[[BBC News]]''. Retrieved 23 April 2013.</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8227119.stm "The children of Beslan five years on"]. ''[[BBC News]]''. Retrieved 23 April 2013.</ref> After the 2004 school siege, Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] announced sweeping security and political reforms, sealing borders in the Caucasus region and revealing plans to give the central government more power. He also vowed to take tougher action against domestic terrorism, including preemptive strikes against Chechen separatists.<ref name="Encarta 2008" /> In 2005 and 2006, separatist leaders Aslan Maskhadov and [[Shamil Basayev]] were killed.

Since 2007, Chechnya has been governed by [[Ramzan Kadyrov]].<ref>{{cite web |date=21 May 2020 |title=Ramzan Kadyrov: Putin's key Chechen ally |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31794742 |access-date=7 March 2022 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> Kadyrov's rule has been characterized by [[Political corruption|high-level corruption]], a [[Human rights in Chechnya|poor human rights record]], widespread use of [[torture]], and a growing [[cult of personality]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ramzan Kadyrov: The warrior king of Chechnya|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/ramzan-kadyrov-the-warrior-king-of-chechnya-430738.html|website = The Independent|date = 4 January 2007|access-date = 1 January 2016|language = en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Kadyrov's Power and Cult of Personality Grows|url = http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5241&no_cache=1#.VoXQNVJUXzc|newspaper = Jamestown|access-date = 1 January 2016}}</ref> Allegations of [[anti-gay purges in Chechnya]] were initially reported on 1 April 2017.

In April 2009, Russia ended its [[counter-terrorism]] operations and pulled out the bulk of its army.<ref name="bbc-endwar">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8001495.stm |title=Russia 'ends Chechnya operation' |date=16 April 2009 |access-date=14 April 2009 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The [[insurgency in the North Caucasus]] continued even after this date. The [[Caucasus Emirate]] had fully adopted the tenets of a [[Salafi jihadism|Salafi-jihadist group]] through its strict adherence to the Sunni [[Hanbali]] obedience to the literal interpretation of the [[Quran]] and the [[Sunnah]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ict.org.il/Article/132/Salafist-Takfiri%20Jihadism%20the%20Ideology%20of%20the%20Caucasus%20Emirate|title=Salafist-Takfiri Jihadism: the Ideology of the Caucasus Emirate|publisher=International Institute for Counter-Terrorism|access-date=27 August 2019|archive-date=3 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903083632/http://www.ict.org.il/Article/132/Salafist-Takfiri%20Jihadism%20the%20Ideology%20of%20the%20Caucasus%20Emirate|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Chechen government has been outspoken in its support for the 2022 [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], where a Chechen military force, the [[Kadyrovtsy]], which is under Kadyrov's personal command, has played a leading role, notably in the [[Siege of Mariupol]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/chechens-putins-loyal-foot-soldiers |title=The Chechens: Putin's Loyal Foot Soldiers |last=Cranny-Evans |first=Sam |date=4 November 2022 |publisher=Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies |access-date=23 May 2023}}</ref> Meanwhile, a substantial number of Chechen separatists have allied themselves to the Ukrainian cause and are fighting a mutual Russian enemy in the [[Donbas]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Chechen volunteer fighters back up Ukraine's Russian resistance |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/chechen-volunteer-fighters-back-ukraines-russian-resistance/story?id=98528574 |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref>

In March 2025, Chechnya blocked Telegram app due to concerns that it could be used by "enemies".<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 March 2025 |title=Two Russian regions block Telegram app over security fears |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/two-russian-regions-block-telegram-app-over-security-fears-2025-03-08/ |work=Reuters}}</ref>