Chechnya commissions reunite over 3,000 divorced couples

The commission for the harmonisation of family and marital relations in Chechnya reported that it has reunited 3,168 divorced couples and 5,217 children.

The commission began its work in 2017 following an initiative by Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov. These bodies, which include local police officers, district officials, and qadis, which are Islamic judges, aim to protect children and strengthen traditional family values. The commission receives data on registered marriages through an agreement with civil registry offices.

Since its inception, the commission has identified a total of 6,063 divorced couples. While some couples have returned to their spouses, 2,339 couples refused to reunite and 910 were unable to resume their relationships for religious reasons. The children of the families who did not reconcile number 6,230, with 4,144 living with their fathers and 2,086 living with their mothers. Human rights defenders allege that the commission pressures people into returning to former spouses.

They claim this can traumatise individuals and that some women only agree to the reunions to maintain access to their children. One reported case involved Belkisa Mintsaeva, who was accused of abduction after leaving Chechnya with a daughter. After she was detained and appeared on Grozny TV, authorities reported that she and her former husband, Sulim Delmukhanov, were reunited and both daughters returned to the father's home.