In Chechnya, the commission for the harmonisation of family and marital relations has reported the ‘reunion’ of 3,168 divorced couples with 5,217 children between them. The state broadcaster Grozny TV reported the figures, citing the commission. The previous report was published in July, when the commission said 3,038 couples had been reunited.

The journalists did not specify the period covered by the newly published figures. However, it appears that the count dates back to the establishment of the commissions for the harmonisation of family and marital relations in 2017.

Since the commission began operating in 2017, it has reported identifying a total of 6,063 divorced couples. Of these, 2,339 couples refused to reunite, while another 910 were unable to resume their relationships for religious reasons. The families who did not reconcile have 6,230 children between them: 4,144 live with their fathers and 2,086 with their mothers.

Compared with the July report, the number of divorced couples identified increased by 43, while the number of reported reunions rose by 130.

The commissions for the harmonisation of family and marital relations and the reunification of separated families began operating in Chechnya on 4 July 2017, at the initiative of Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov. Their official purpose is to preserve families, protect children’s interests and strengthen traditional family values. The commissions include local police officers, district officials and qadis — Islamic judges. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Chechnya has said that the commissions receive information about registered marriages under an agreement with civil registry offices.

Human rights defenders say that couples are pressured into returning to their former spouses, which can traumatise people who have decided to end their relationships, and women agree to resume their relationships in order to retain the opportunity to see their children.