A professor from Dagestan proposed to mitigate the punishment for blood revenge.

Murder out of blood revenge should be classified as ordinary murder, and the motive itself should not be considered a circumstance that entails a stricter punishment. In conditions of corruption and with the dishonest work of law enforcement, blood revenge can be a way to restore justice, said Professor Dureya Ziyadova from Dagestan State University.

According to Doctor of Law, Professor Dureya Ziyadova from Dagestan State University, murders motivated by blood revenge should be classified as ordinary murder. She proposed to abandon the consideration of this motive as a circumstance that entails a stricter punishment.

"Therefore, I believe it is preferable for blood revenge to be considered ordinary murder, that is, under part one of Article 105," Ziyadova stated in a speech, the video recording of which was published on the Rutube channel of the Criminology School of Moscow State University.

The current approach, the researcher considered a violation of the principle of equality of citizens before the law. She linked this to the fact that, in her assessment, the relevant norm affects only certain regions. In addition, Ziyadova opposed comparing a person who killed a criminal with those who committed murder against a pregnant woman, several people, or an elderly person for their property.

Incompetence and dishonesty of some law enforcement officers can hinder the restoration of justice, Ziyadova stated. In such conditions, blood revenge, in her opinion, performs the function of social regulation and protection of honor and dignity of the individual. The researcher referred to survey results, where participants also named blood revenge as one of the ways to restore justice.

Her proposal to mitigate punishments for murders out of blood revenge was expressed during a speech in the context of a discussion about the institution of blood revenge at the Criminology School of the Law Faculty of Moscow State University. According to a report published on November 2 on the faculty's website, the meeting took place with the participation of scholars from the North Caucasus. The possibility of reconciliation between parties was called an important feature of the custom by Ziyadova: in her opinion, such a procedure allows for the repentance of the guilty and compensation for damages.

The similarity of the reconciliation procedure with mediation and other forms of restorative justice was pointed out by the chairman of the All-Russian Association of Restorative Mediation Rustem Maksudov. He also spoke about the existing restorative justice centers in Dagestan. The important role of women in reconciliation among the Kumyks was emphasized by Professor of Dagestan State University Elmira Dzhakhieva.

The protection of the honor and dignity of women was named one of the main tasks of the custom by Professor of Chechen State Pedagogical University Jambulak Saidumov. At the same time, he pointed out that for a number of crimes against the honor and dignity of women, the reconciliation procedure is impossible.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that cases of blood revenge periodically occur in the republics of the North Caucasus. For example, on August 14 of this year, a 44-year-old man was killed in the city park of Makhachkala, receiving about twenty stab wounds. The investigation named blood revenge as the motive. Later, the police reported the detention of a 38-year-old suspect.

On March 15, 2024, near the building of the Nogai District Court, the father of a teenager killed in a traffic accident killed the convicted driver and his lawyer. The man was dissatisfied with the punishment assigned to the driver – one and a half years of imprisonment. Subsequently, the Supreme Court of Dagestan overturned this sentence, establishing significant violations during the investigation and consideration of the case.