Yakub Zakriev, photo: social media
Serbian authorities have annulled the decision to grant citizenship to Yakub Zakriev, a nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Nedeljnik reported this, citing a document.
When Zakriev was granted citizenship. Zakriev received Serbian citizenship following a government meeting on April 23. The republic's cabinet referred to a law allowing citizenship to be granted to a foreigner if that person represents an interest for Serbia. Serbian authorities did not explain what specific interest Zakriev represented.
Why the decision was revoked. The document on the withdrawal of citizenship says that Zakriev "poses a danger to the life and health of people, [and to] public safety."
Who Zakriev is. Yakub Zakriev is the son of Ramzan Kadyrov's own sister. He previously headed the administration of the head and government of Chechnya. He also served as mayor of Grozny and led the republic's Ministry of Agriculture.
After the nationalization of Danone, Yakub Zakriev was appointed its new CEO. The company is now called "Logika moloka."
Another person close to Kadyrov also received Serbian citizenship. Earlier, Vazhnye istorii and Krik found that in 2024 Serbian citizenship was also granted to another Kadyrov associate, former deputy agriculture minister and former vice mayor of Grozny Ruslan Alisultanov, as well as his four children. Alisultanov is connected to Zakriev through the former Danone company.
How the arrest of journalist Oleg Roldugin is connected. Novaya Gazeta columnist Oleg Roldugin previously found that, thanks to assets obtained in the former Danone, Alisultanov bought one of the most expensive apartments in Russia, a penthouse in the elite Residence 1864 complex near the Kremlin. Its area is about 1700 m², and its value exceeds three billion rubles.
Journalists from the Explainer project claim that Roldugin was arrested precisely because of the article about Alisultanov. According to a source, "investigators are frantically trying to come up with how to charge the journalist without giving up Kadyrov's acquaintances."