Putin appoints Kadyrov as Chechen President

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin today appointed Ramzan Kadyrov, a 30-year-old former rebel, as acting president of Chechnya after removing Alu Alkhanov from the top job, a spokesman for Putin said.

Kadyrov, who was made Chechnya's prime minister last year, is the son of a murdered former Chechen leader and head of a private militia force which human rights groups implicate in murder and kidnap, but which he says provides security in the strifetorn region.

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