Spate of abductions of women in Chechnya

By Ruslan Isayev

CHECHNYA - In the past two months, 13 women have been abducted in the republic, according to Chechen human rights organisations. Nine went missing in May, one of which was under the age of 18.

The abductions follow a usual pattern in that masked men in army fatigues snatch a certain individual and drive off with them. Some of the women are later found dead, but in most cases the search for others leads nowhere.

According to psychologists, the recent rash of kidnappings relates to the current conditions prevalent in Chechnya. Permissiveness gives rise to impunity, which deviants make use of. However, many abductions are carried out in order to extract information about suspected guerrillas.