Ferocity. The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov he declared today Monday … proud of his teenage son, Adam, who beat a prisoner because he had been accused of burning a copy of the Koran.

In Kadyrov’s statement on Telegram, he posted the video showing his khaki-clad son punching and kicking another man before throwing him on the floor and hit him on the head.

The Chechen leader, who describes himself as a ruthless ally of the Russian president Vladimir Putin, said it released the video to clear up any doubts about whether the incident, first reported last month, actually happened.

“She beat him up and did the right thing,” Kadyrov stated cynically.

“Without exaggeration, yes, I’m proud of Adam’s energy,” he said. He added that he respects his son because he acquired “ideals for honor, dignity and defense of his religion, ideals that an adult has.”

The prisoner, Mr Nikita Zuravel, had complained about the attack to Russia’s human rights ombudsman, who said last month she had referred the matter to her counterpart in Chechnya.

Kadyrov often refers publicly to his three teenage sons, whom he said last year he sent to fight for Russia in the Ukraine war. The degree of their participation in any war action is not clear.

The eldest, Ahmad, was photographed with Putin in the Kremlin in March, fueling rumours. that he is preparing to succeed Kadyrov.

Kadyrov’s health has been the subject of speculation, with rumors swirling this month that he was dead or in a coma. Last week he published a post on Telegram claiming that he is in good health, and that the reason he traveled to a hospital in Moscow was to visit a sick uncle who was being treated.