Derian thanks Chechen leader for 'support of truth'.

Summary: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian Sunday met with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, thanking him for his "courageous positions in support of truth," on the sidelines of a religious conference in Grozny, the Chechen capital.

BEIRUT: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian Sunday met with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, thanking him for his "courageous positions in support of truth," on the sidelines of a religious conference in Grozny, the Chechen capital.

Derian also thanked Kadyrov for his "adherence to the teachings of Islam," at a conference of the Muslim World League, which focused on peace and coexistence.

Kadyrov, the leader of the Muslim-majority autonomous Chechen region, has spoken out in support of some oppressed Muslim groups, including Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority.

Kadyrov has also been roundly criticized by human rights groups for a slew of alleged human rights abuses, most recently over an alleged anti-gay purge that has seen dozens arrested and tortured since 2017.

The government dismissed the latest such report in January as "complete lies," and has consistently denied the allegations.

The longtime leader of the Chechen Republic claimed Chechnya has no gay population at all.

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