ECtHR gets interested in separation of Chechen woman with children

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has sent questions to Russian authorities on the complaint of Luiza Tapaeva about the decision of a Chechen court, which left her four children under the care of her deceased husband's father. For the first time, the ECtHR is considering the issue of gender discrimination in guardianship cases in Northern Caucasus, rights defenders report.

Luiza demands the return to her the four children, who, after the death of her husband in 2015, were taken away her father-in-law, who prevents her from communicating with her kids.

In June 2017, the Urus-Martan District Court ruled that the children should live with their mother, but in April 2018 the case was reconsidered and the decision was made in favour of her husband's father.

The ECtHR has stated that it is ready to consider the issue of women's rights violations in Northern Caucasus in the context of the family law.

It should be noted that residents of Northern Caucasus are temporizing among the Sharia law, the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Adat law, which leads to absence of clarity in their behaviour in the society, resulting in women's rights violations.