Ingush court finds businessperson guilty of defamation after accusing bride of ‘pre-marital relationship’
An Ingush court has upheld a verdict finding a 52-year-old businessperson from Nazran guilty of defamation after he had accused his 22-year-old wife of being in a pre-marital relationship.
According to Russian state-run media outlet Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the ruling following a review of an appeal against the judgment of a magistrates’ court, which had earlier found the man, whose name has not been disclosed, guilty and fined him ₽50,000 ($660). The appellate instance found no grounds to overturn the verdict.
According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the marriage between the ‘wealthy entrepreneur’ and the bride, who was 30 years younger than him, was concluded in a religious ceremony arranged by relatives on both sides. Before the wedding, they had only met a couple of times. On their wedding night, the man believed that the bride was not a virgin and decided to take her for a medical examination by a gynaecologist in another region.
The medical conclusion confirmed that she had not had sexual relations before the marriage and had not undergone any procedures to restore the hymen. Despite this, the man told his relatives that his wife had allegedly concealed a pre-marital relationship, after which he returned her to her parents’ home three days after the wedding. Her lawyer Elena Misalova stated that the husband ‘simply dropped her off at the gate like a little dog’.
The media outlet noted that the woman’s parents are respected in the republic. Her father fought in the full-scale war in Ukraine and was a decorated soldier. They filed a complaint with law enforcement authorities alleging defamation. As part of the investigation, a forensic medical examination was conducted, confirming the results of the initial examination.
During the court proceedings, the defendant changed his initial testimony. He stated that the reason for ending the marriage was that he did not like his wife’s character.
Nevertheless, the court of first instance found the man guilty of defamation and imposed a fine. The appellate court upheld this decision.
Following the incident, the woman was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The lawyer representing her interests told journalists that the outcome of the case was made possible by the position of the victim’s family. According to her, in similar situations women often do not go to court.
‘If it had not been for the firm stance of the victim’s family, the man could have irreparably ruined the girl’s life’, Misalova noted.
In December 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin described early marriages in the Caucasus as a ‘very good tradition’.
‘This is really right. We should take an example from them. [Chechen Head] Ramzan Kadyrov has a large family, many children, and people marry and get married at quite a young age. This is very good’, Putin said.
