The government's plans to make divorce more difficult are reminiscent of the "reconciliation" of spouses in Chechnya.

Federal authorities plan to make pre-trial reconciliation between spouses mandatory before divorce, a procedure that has been in place for many years in Chechnya and the Chechen diaspora abroad. Human rights activists recalled the case of Madina Umayeva and Larisa Arsanukayeva, for whom reconciliations ended tragically.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," commissions for resolving family conflicts in Chechnya were created at the direction of the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. Family reunification occurs under pressure and often becomes traumatic for those who, for various reasons, decide to divorce, analysts previously interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" noted.

Russia still lacks a law on the prevention of domestic violence, but authorities are initiating legislative measures to complicate divorce proceedings. The Russian government is preparing amendments to the law that will make it mandatory for spouses to meet with a conciliator or "mediator" before trial. This mechanism is planned to be implemented at the federal level in 2026-2027, although residents of the North Caucasus have long been familiar with such "conciliatory measures" by government and religious authorities in divorce cases, the "Motherless Caucasus" movement noted.

“Under the slogans of ‘preserving the family’ and ‘demographic concern,’ the state is preparing a pressure mechanism—with persuasion, instruction, and mandatory ‘conversations,’” notes a post on the movement’s Telegram channel.

Human rights activists recalled that official “family harmonization commissions” have long been operating in Chechnya—these structures attempt to “reason” and “return to the family” women seeking divorce or fleeing their husbands due to domestic violence. As an example of the Chechen authorities’ lenient attitude toward domestic violence against women, they cited the republic’s head’s comment on the murder of Madina Umayeva.

Human rights activists also recalled the fate of Larisa Arsanukayeva, who was murdered in Nice, noting that in the Caucasian diasporas outside of Chechnya, there are also mechanisms for "reconciliation" between spouses with the participation of public and religious authorities. Larisa Arsanukayeva "after fleeing" "Larisa tried repeatedly to reconcile with her ex-husband: they tried to persuade her to return, promised control and security, and used their authority."

"Larisa tried to make peace as best she could. She forgave the beatings, didn't go to the police, and was willing to compromise for the sake of the children. "As a result, her ex-husband broke into her apartment with a duplicate key and killed Larisa," the publication states.

Larisa Arsanukayeva's body was only sent home on January 5, two months after the murder, the human rights group Marem reported today. "She lay in a French morgue all this time because her husband's relatives refused to sign the necessary burial documents," the publication states.

A charitable foundation prepared Arsanukayeva's body for transportation. The family of Larisa's ex-husband delayed submitting documents to the court for a long time. confirming that they have no additional demands on the forensic experts and the body can be released. “They decided that they didn’t torture Larisa enough while she was alive, that they would torture her lifeless body as well,” wrote Chechen woman Eli Khesmak, who actively covers the Arsanukayeva case.

Human rights activists from Marem noted that such treatment of the body is a demonstration of disregard on the part of the relatives of the murdered women. Against this background, they recalled Aishat Baimuradova, whose body has been in the morgue in Yerevan for more than two months, since the girl’s relatives did not respond to a request about what should be done with it. to do.

"This behavior should make it clear to everyone - we don't respect this woman, we don't need her body, and we don't care what happens to it. "The family continues to show that the woman belongs to them—both alive and dead," the publication states.

Aishat Baimuradova, 23, a native of Chechnya, was found dead in a rented apartment in Yerevan on October 19. She fled to Armenia to escape domestic violence, but publicly criticized Kadyrov's regime. Karina Iminova, who had summoned Aishat to a meeting, and 30-year-old Chechen native Said-Khamzat Baisarov were seen near the house where Baimuradova's body was found. The official cause of Aishat's death has not been announced. Investigators sent a request to Russia to find relatives of Aishat willing to claim her body, but no one willing to bury her in her homeland has come forward.