A leading rights watchdog has accused authorities in Chechnya of systematically erecting a "tyranny" in that southern Russian republic and using "thugs" to intimidate potential rivals and the public ahead of an election next month in which Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is seeking a new term.Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in its 56-page report -- titled Russia: Preelection Crackdown In Chechnya -- that "residents who show dissatisfaction with or seem reluctant to applaud the Chechen leadership and its policies are the primary victims of this [recent] crackdown."