A criminal case has been opened after Chechen resident Akraman Elmurzaev attacked a married couple who were exercising at a stadium in the village of Achkhoy-Martan, allegedly because he found it unacceptable for the woman to exercise in public alongside men she did not know.
According to the Chechen branch of the Investigative Committee, the incident took place in March 2026. Investigators allege that Elmurzaev saw a married couple jogging at the stadium. He then approached the husband and punched him in the face.
According to the investigation, the attack was motivated by the suspect’s belief that it was inappropriate for a woman to be in a place where men she did not know were present.
The victim subsequently filed a complaint with the police.
The following day, both the victim and Elmurzaev were summoned to the police for a ‘preventive conversation’, according to a statement issued by the press service of the Vedeno District Court in Chechnya. Investigators allege that Elmurzaev continued to behave aggressively and, after being reprimanded, assaulted a police officer.
‘Following another remark directed at him, Elmurzaev struck the police officer once with his right fist in the left temple area’, the court’s press service said.
A criminal case has been opened on charges of intentional infliction of minor bodily harm and the use of violence against a police officer. Elmurzaev’s position regarding the charges has not been reported. He is currently being held in custody.
According to records from the business databases, Elmurzaev headed the Moscow construction company in 2022. In the North Caucasus, there are regular reports of tourists or local residents being criticised for their appearance or ‘inappropriate behaviour’.
In May 2026, prominent Ingush imam, Ahmed Ugurchiev, criticised men for wearing ‘incorrect’ clothing — including short-sleeved shirts — and for not being strict enough towards women.
In September 2025, Chechnya introduced a new restriction for women. Under a decision by the republic’s Ministry of Culture, women were prohibited from wearing clothing incorporating elements of traditional male national dress.
The Chechen authorities also announced in October 2025 that they intended to conduct ‘explanatory conversations’ with local women who do not cover their heads. This was stated by Amir Sugaipov, First Deputy Minister for Youth Affairs and an aide to Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov. He said that women wearing headscarves appeared ‘far more dignified and beautiful’.
In September 2025, a resident of North Ossetia confronted a man from Daghestan in a shop wearing shorts below the knee. Disapproving of his appearance, he struck the man. A shop employee intervened on behalf of the customer, but the attacker assaulted him as well.
Elizaveta Chukharova
In August 2025, a sermon by the imam of the central mosque in Ingushetia’s Malgobek, Ibrahim Batyrov, also caused widespread controversy. He criticised men who work as waiters and serve women in cafés and restaurants.
In August 2025, a group of Ingush men travelled 300 kilometres to the coastal Daghestani town of Izberbash in order to ‘inspect’ beaches and cafés for Ingush women who were allegedly meeting men of other nationalities. According to the participants, they found no evidence supporting these rumours during the night, but stated that they would continue to ‘monitor’ the behaviour of Ingush women.
In July 2025, two local men rescued drowning girls from Chechnya on a beach in the town of Daghestanskie Ogni in Daghestan. However, instead of receiving gratitude, they faced widespread criticism on social media for physically touching the girls while they were rescuing them.
In February 2022, a tourist from Moscow was killed in Karachay–Cherkessia. According to investigators, the conflict began when the man relieved himself by the roadside. A local resident objected and approached him to make a remark. The dispute escalated into a fight, during which the local man stabbed the tourist and killing him.
