After attending a birthday party for Chechnyan President Ramzan Kadyrov, Jean-Claude Van Damme And Hilary Swank were criticized by Human Rights Watch.
According to reports, Van Damme said on stage, “I love you, Mr. Kadyrov” and Swank wished him happy birthday as well.
The H.R.W. position is that Kadyrov is the head of cases that involved torture and executions of those involved in the Islamic insurgency in Chechnya.
In a recent interview, H.R.W. says, “Ramzan Kadyrov is linked to a litany of horrific human rights abuses. It’s inappropriate for stars to get paid to party with him. It bolsters his image and legitimizes a brutal leader and his regime. And getting paid to be part of such a lavish show in Chechnya trivializes the suffering of countless victims of human rights abuses there.”
Celebrities are usually paid large amounts of money for making appearances at such events. H.R.W. expressed that they want the two to repay any money they were paid to attend.
