"Memory Project" reports consequences of forced disappearances in Chechnya

The traumatic experience obtained by relatives of those who went missing in Chechnya doesn't pass without traceless. Families find themselves in a difficult financial situation; and children of those missing often face problems with law enforcement bodies, since authorities classify them as at risk of radicalization. This is stated in a study conducted by human rights defenders entitled "Memory Project".

"Thousands of victims' relatives are suffering from the fact that the fate of their missing relatives is still unknown," says the Telegram channel of the project.

The report was prepared by Zorgan Bachaeva and is based on 21 interviews with relatives of those abducted – wives, mothers, sisters and one daughter. All of them received positive decisions on their complaints at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). In most cases, applicants' relatives disappeared after being detained by law enforcers.

Almost all the study participants indicated the presence of chronic diseases associated with the traumas they had experienced. Wives of missing persons face uncertainty about their status (whether they are wives or widows); children, often living in a tight financial situation, fail to receive proper attention and opportunities for successful development. Often the missing people were the only breadwinners.

Ms Bachaeva has emphasized that the topic of missing persons during military conflicts in Chechnya is little covered and studied. Within the Chechen society it is not customary to share their experiences, but most of the study participants were glad to have the opportunity to speak out, the researcher has noted.