Pyatimat Yevkurova's sister demanded protection of mothers' rights in the North Caucasus.

Zalina Yevkurova, a native of Ingushetia, has initiated a campaign to protect the rights of mothers in the North Caucasus in memory of her sister, Pyatimat, who died after a seven-year struggle to see her son. In her petition, Yevkurova demands that Russian laws be enforced in the North Caucasus republics.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," Pyatimat Yevkurova, a seriously ill resident of Ingushetia, spent seven years seeking to see her son, whom her ex-husband had forcibly taken from her, and died without even seeing the child grow up. In December, her sister appealed to the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, demanding punishment for those responsible for violating Pyatimat's rights. Social media users pointed out that the husband's relatives' treatment of Pyatimat contradicts the rules of Islam and the norms of humanity.

Zalina Yevkurova's petition demanding justice for mothers and not separating them from their children was published on Change.org on January 15. Yevkurov launched the petition because "other means of fighting for justice have been exhausted," the "Motherless Caucasus" project reported on its Telegram channel.

Zalina points out that her sister was denied visits with her son, and even the opportunity to see him, citing "tradition" and under the guise of elders' authority. "Our family was subjected to serious pressure: tradition, culture, and the authority of elders were manipulated to deprive Pyatimat of her legal rights," the petition states.

In the petition, she named the people she considers directly responsible for violating her sister's rights: the grandfather of her nephew, Pyatimat's son, and the director of the boy's school.

Tradition and religion are used as tools of discrimination, not as cultural norms.

Yevkurova points out that her sister's case is not isolated, calling the widespread violation of maternal rights in Ingushetia and the North Caucasus a systemic problem. Other mothers separated from their children have also faced pressure and interference from elders, she notes. "In fact, tradition and religion are used as tools of discrimination, not as cultural norms," the text states.

Zalina Yevkurova demanded a legal assessment of elders' interference in custody disputes and the use of tradition as a tool of pressure, as well as state oversight of the situation regarding violations of maternal rights in Ingushetia and the North Caucasus and the interference of elders. She also called for "the development of measures to stop the practice of forcibly separating mothers from their children under the guise of 'customs'" and to protect the rights of children who are separated from their mothers.

Neither elders, nor tradition, nor family pressure can be above the law.

“A child's right to be with its mother is fundamental. A mother's right to communicate with her child is guaranteed by law. Neither elders, nor tradition, nor family pressure can be above the law. (...) I demand that the law apply equally to everyone in the North Caucasus, and that the rights of mothers and children be protected just as in any region of Russia. Therefore, I demand an investigation into elders' interference in family matters and a response to systemic violations of the rights of mothers and children in the North Caucasus,” the petition concludes.

In the first seven hours since its publication, the petition garnered 50 signatures; as of 4:05 a.m. Moscow time today, 75 people have signed it.