Putin bestows awards on Chechen leader, Litvinenko suspect

Russian President Vladimir Putin has bestowed an award on the leader of Chechnya, just as the North Caucasus strongman hailed the suspected killer of an opposition politician as a "true patriot."
Documents posted on the Kremlin website today listed Ramzan Kadyrov as a recipient of the Order of Honor, which is given in recognition of achievements in public life.
Kadyrov drew criticism from government opponents yesterday after praising a suspect in the murder of Kremlin foe Boris Nemtsov as a "deeply religious man," committed to Russia.
Kadyrov said the suspect may have been offended by Nemtsov's comments after the attack on French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo.

Putin also granted a medal for "services to the motherland" to a man British police say poisoned former security services agent Alexander Litvinenko.