Serbia Grants Citizenship to Kadyrov's Nephew

The Serbian government has granted citizenship to Yakub Zakriev, the nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The decision was signed by Prime Minister Djuro Macut, Serbian magazine Nedeljnik reported.

Zakriev was granted the passport "in the interest" of Serbia, without any specific merits being disclosed. He previously served as head of the Grozny town hall and as head of Chechnya's agriculture ministry. In 2023, he became chief executive of the nationalized Danone company in Russia.

The granting of Serbian passports to Russian elites became widespread after the start of the war in Ukraine. Citizenship of the Balkan country allows visa-free access to European Union (EU) states. It is formally granted "on merit", and applicants are not required to obtain permanent residency, master the language or renounce Russian citizenship.

Another Kadyrov associate, Ruslan Alisultanov, who served as deputy minister of agriculture and vice-mayor of Grozny, was granted a passport on the same terms.

According to the investigative portal Vazhniye Istorii, the mechanism is also used to benefit employees of defense enterprises, state corporations, regional officials and members of the security forces.

(istories, bak)