In Chechnya, reconciliation of blood feud parties reinforces tendency to refuse revenge

In Chechnya, relatives of victims of road traffic accidents voluntarily give up blood feud to persons guilty of the accidents, Caucasian experts report after two cases of reconciliation of families in the republic which occur during a week.

A report about the reconciliation of the families of a victim of a road traffic accident and of a man guilty of the accident was posted on the "Chechnya Life" page on Instagram.

In Chechnya, the reconciliation of blood feud parties after road traffic accidents occurs without involvement of an administrative resource, believes Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, Director of the Conflict Analysis and Prevention Centre.

"Death in a road traffic accident is a classic example where reconciliation almost always takes place," Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya explained.

In Chechnya, the custom of reconciliation is a tradition that conflict parties tend to observe, notes Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the "Civic Assistance Committee".

"Conflict parties are always interested in reconciliation, since the obligation to blood feud puts both sides in difficult conditions," the human rights defender said.