Ramzan Kadyrov, who has ruled the Russian republic of Chechnya with an iron fist for over 15 years, is suspected of involvement in the torture and murder of dissidents. His troops are actively participating on the side of Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Now he is reacting to the Koran burnings in Europe and Sweden in a post on Telegram. He calls on the world's Muslims to act forcefully against "Satan's servants."

"Russia stands alone against the West's aggressive, atheistic and colonial policies," he said, promising to take care of "the countries" that desecrated the Koran after Russia's victory over Ukraine.

Religion part of propaganda

In his propaganda about the war, Ramzan Kadyrov often highlights Islam as an important driving force.

– For every burnt letter of the Holy Quran, for every wicked word directed against Islam. The entire Muslim world already sees the true essence of the West, its unjustified hatred of Russia, Islam, traditional families and human values, Kadyrov proclaimed when his troops received orders to advance in Donetsk at the end of May.

SAPO: State actors benefit from the situation

The Swedish Security Service warned earlier this week that state actors, and in particular Russia, are trying to take advantage of and fuel the negative attention Sweden has received recently.

"This type of statement is something that is in line with what we have seen and described for a long time, where religious and political representatives in different parts of the Muslim world, in particular, are calling for different ways to act against Sweden and where various threats have been expressed," Fredrik Hultgren-Friberg at the Security Service's press office told SVT News.

"State actors and foreign powers are behind parts of this, where they are trying to fuel the situation in which Sweden finds itself based on their own interests. It is primarily Russia, but also China and Iran, that we have assessed as the main security threats.

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Who is Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, and what is his role in the war?