Sept 28 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov on Thursday, a state television reporter said, three days after Kadyrov said he was proud of his 15-year-son for beating up a prisoner accused of burning the Koran.
Putin said that there was a "positive dynamic" in Chechnya, largely thanks to Kadyrov and his team.
The alleged Koran-burning did not take place in Chechnya but Russian investigators said they transferred Zhuravel to Chechen custody because Muslims there saw themselves as victims of the incident.
The beating opened up Putin to accusations that he had handed over an ethnic Russian "to be devoured by the Chechens", former Kremlin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov, now a harsh Putin critic, said this week.
Kadyrov, 46, has been the subject of intense speculation over his health, with rumours swirling this month that he was dead or in a coma.
Persons:
Vladimir Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Pavel Zarubin, Putin, Adam, Nikita Zhuravel, Zhuravel, Abbas Gallyamov, Mark Trevelyan, Alexandra Hudson
Organizations:
Kremlin, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson
Locations:
Chechnya, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian