More than 22,000 residents of Chechnya are banned from travelling abroad

By the end of January, the number of residents of Chechnya, who are banned from leaving Russia because of their debts, amounted to 22,000, the Federal Court Marshal Service (FCMS) has reported. Some local residents find the restriction disproportionate to the debt amounts.

The "Caucasian Knot" has earlier reported the increase in the number of debtors in Chechnya, who are prohibited from travelling abroad.

According to a source from the Chechen branch of the FCMS, the more than double increase of the number of those, who cannot leave Russia because of their debts, is caused by "the intensified work of court marshals."

A restriction on travelling abroad is imposed if the debt amount exceeds 10,000 roubles, said the source.

Residents of Chechnya are unhappy with the activities of court marshals and the fact that they do not always receive notifications about debts and fines.

"In December, I was going to leave the republic for medical treatment, but at the airport I was detained and told that I have unpaid fines," said Uvais, adding that even his repayment of the debt did not solve the problem – it was still necessary to notify the court marshal so that he could cancel the ban. It took several days.

According to Samira, a woman from Chechnya, a few weeks ago her sick mother could not go to treatment to her son in France because of her debts.