Persecution of users of occult services goes beyond Chechnya

Chechen authorities are not engaged in systemic control of residents who turn to healers in other regions, but do their best to show that they control the situation even outside the republic, the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have pointed out in their comments on the public scolding of Chechen villagers who have turned to healers living in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 15 it became known that two Engel-Yurt villagers turned to a healer in the KBR with a request to improve their family life, after which they were detained in Chechnya by law enforcers. They were publicly reprimanded by Adam Elzhurkaev, the head of the Islamic Medicine Centre.

The authorities of Chechnya are not systemically monitoring those who turn to healers outside the republic, Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, believes. "More likely, one of their relatives denounced them; and authorities used this case for another plot with scolding," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

A Chechen historian has noted that people in Chechnya find it shameful to turn to people who practise occultism. "Residents of Chechnya know that if it becomes known that they have visited a sorcerer or healer, they will be put on public display and scolded for it [...] Therefore, people began turning to healers outside of Chechnya; and these cases become known to law enforcers. It seems to me that this is not yet a systemic surveillance. It's just that someone has disclosed this information," the historian told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 18, 2022 at 00:56 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.