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Girl of 17 forced to marry a much older official in Chechnya

Published 20 May 2015 in Blog

A 17-year-old girl was forced to marry a man who was already married and at least 30 years older than her, in what was called "the wedding of the millennium". The case raised legal and ethical questions in Russia and in its republic of Chechnya.

The wedding

The girl was married on a Saturday to the Chechen police officer Nazhud Guchigov. He was first reported to be 57, though he says he is 46. He is already married and has children who are older than his new bride.

The Russian investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that she was being forced to marry a local official. He reportedly threatened her parents and demanded to marry her on her 17th birthday, 1 May. He even warned that he would kidnap her.

"He is married and has children. She's younger than his children. The Chechen woman is powerless; she can expect help from nowhere," one of her friends wrote, according to The Daily Beast. The friend added that the girl had told him she had a boyfriend, but this was ignored, and that the boyfriend was said to have been beaten half to death.

The response of the Chechen leader

The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov attended the ceremony. According to The Moscow Times, he accused the media of "inaccurately depicting the situation and meddling in the couple's private lives".

On Instagram on the Friday, Kadyrov wrote that those who had interfered for a long time in the couple's private lives would answer in court. "The appropriate actions are already being prepared," he added. Kadyrov is rumoured to have a second wife himself.

He then called the event "the wedding of the millennium", comparing it with the "wedding of the century" of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

What Russian law says

Russian law permits neither polygamous nor underage marriage, although certain clauses allow marriage at 16 in special circumstances.

Source: YouTube