The government building of the Republic of Ingushetia (Dominik K. Cagara / Archive)
Ingushetia’s parliament has proposed imprisoning kidnappers of brides with three-year prison sentences. The initiative comes from the speaker of parliament, Zelimkhan Yevloyev.
According to him, those who despite a prohibition of abducting brides kidnap girls, have to be arrested and jailed for at least three years. Yevloyev has instructed parliamentarians to prepare a draft bill on this issue.
The issue recently emerged in Ingushetia after a young man kidnapped the same girl for the third time. During the latest abduction, he and his friends beat the mother and stabbed the brother of the girl. The kidnapping was widely condemned in Ingush society.
Under pressure from the authorities, and fearing serious consequences, the girl was voluntarily released and taken home. The incident, however, has led to a serious conflict between the two teips (clans).
A few years ago, Ingushetia’s Council of Elders, a religious authority for Muslims in the republic, prohibited bride kidnapping. Supporters of the prohibition argued that it had nothing to do with Islam. The number of abductions has significantly decreased since the ruling, which says that offenders must pay compensation to their village.
Abduction of women and girls for marriage is already illegal under Russian law, in which kidnapping carries a sentence of 4–8 years in prison. However, in most cases of bride kidnapping, the kidnappers and the kidnapped woman’s family come to an agreement in which a criminal case is not launched.
The first region in the north Caucasus to ban kidnapping of brides was Chechnya. Authorities and clergy there expressed jointly their opposition to this ancient custom. Offenders there now face fines of ₽1,000,000 ($18,000) and criminal prosecution under Russian law. After the introduction of the ban in 2010, only a few cases have been reported.
In North Ossetia, the custom of bride kidnapping is still practiced without consequences. However, the custom is very often staged, with everything done with the consent of the woman.
An ethnic Azerbaijani teacher in southeast Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli Region has been made to publicly apologise after reporting the kidnapping of one of his former students and criticising Georgia’s Azerbaijani community for endorsing bride kidnapping.
Hamid Sadikh, a geography teacher in the village of Tezekendi in Gardabani Municipality, was widely criticised by other residents of the village after he made a Facebook post on 9 October criticising the incident.
‘One of my students, whom I u
Despite a rise in the awareness of women’s rights in Georgia, feminist activists have found themselves up against a deeply-rooted culture that hinders further progress. Early marriages, a lack of recognition of the need for more female decision-makers, and impassivity towards women’s issues in the male-dominated parliament create a compounding, socially-driven force that stands on the way of gender equality.
Natia was only 17 when she became a bride. A 25-year-old man kidnapped her twice
A 20-year-old girl abducted for marriage has been returned to her parents’ house.
The girl was abducted from the courtyard of her house in a village in Bolnisi Municipality, in Georgia’s southern Kvemo Kartli Region, on 10 January.
An investigation has been launched for ‘illegal deprivation of liberty’, which is punishable by up to four years in prison.
The alleged abductor has been identified, according to local community radio station Radio Marneuli, which covers Kvemo Kartli regio
Women of Georgia — Tamta Abuselidze, 27
‘I heard many times of women’s abductions when I was living in the village. And of course, I never thought that it was a good thing, but I also didn’t know it was illegal. They never taught us anything about it at school, there was no literature about it.’
Women in Georgia very often lack a voice of their own. Their opinions, feelings, dreams, aspirations, and achievements can be conveyed by others, often the men around them. The Women in Geo
Ingushetia’s parliament has proposed imprisoning kidnappers of brides with three-year prison sentences. The initiative comes from the speaker of parliament, Zelimkhan Yevloyev.
