Kadirov urges men to keep wives away from WhatsApp

The president of the Chechen Republic, Ramazan Kadirov, made a call on Wednesday to prohibit the world's leading messaging platform WhatsApp, and urged men to keep their wives away from the app. Speaking to a local Chechen TV channel, Kadirov underscored the threat of WhatsApp to family relations. "Act like a Chechen and don't let them go out if it evokes sharing dangerous things via WhatsApp. The most important thing in this life is family honor, don't forget that. Keep your wives away from platforms such as WhatsApp," he said.

Kadirov's WhatsApp criticism actually stems from a controversial marriage that recently took place in the country. The polygomous marriage of police chief Nazhid Guchigov, 47, and a 17-year-old girl occurred last weekend, drawing strong reactions in the country, especially from women. Kadirov expressed his support for the marriage, which is also illegal according to Russian law, and said her family had given their consent for the marriage. The Chechen president asserts that criticisms toward the marriage were spread on WhatsApp, which is why he urged men to keep their wives away from the app.