Social media users demanded that Yunusov be punished for beating women.
Expulsion from the Akhmat Fight Club is not enough to punish MMA fighter Jihad Yunusov, who used violence against his neighbors during a domestic dispute, social media users claimed. According to judicial practice, those charged with assault in Chechnya face only monetary fines.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on May 16, police reported an investigation into the assault of two women in Grozny – "citizens Lorsanova and Dagayeva." The Republican Fight Club "Akhmat" announced that mixed martial artist Jihad Yunusov has been expelled from the club for violence against these women.
The conflict was sparked by the installation of a video camera near the woman's apartment – Yunusov didn't like that the camera's view included his door. Footage recorded by the camera on May 13 shows the elderly woman entering the hallway of the building, followed by Yunusov holding a cup and another man. The conversation between Yunusov and the woman escalated into a heated argument, after which the fighter removed the lid from the cup he was holding, splashed the drink in the woman's face, and then threw the cup at her, striking her, including with the apartment door. The second man tried to pull him away, but the fighter broke free and, running up to the woman, struck her several times. He also struck a second woman, who ran out of the apartment after hearing the victim's screams.
Facebook* users had left 40 comments under the "Caucasian Knot" post about the incident involving Yunusov as of 12:55 PM Moscow time on May 18. Instagram* users also shared their thoughts on the incident. The Caucasian Knot invites readers to participate in the discussion and express their opinions on the Caucasian Knot social media pages: Instagram* and Facebook*.
Most of the commenters sharply condemned Jihad Yunusov's actions, and many considered his expulsion from the Akhmat club an insufficient punishment.
"Suspending him isn't enough. He needs to be jailed. So that others realize that it's wrong to touch other people's women. Let alone beat them," wrote Toita Irisbieva. "Hitting a woman, and an elderly one at that, what is this?" Eldaniz Jafarov was indignant.
"You're not a man, you're a scumbag. Shame on you, you've dishonored your manhood. Is it even right to beat women, especially older women?" M.B. declared. "Just because you have strength doesn't mean you should commit lawlessness," Anar Hacıyev wrote.
"This 'hero' was [in an altered state of consciousness] and therefore confused the ring with his opponent," Noxchi-kent Deni suggested. "Show his mother this video. Let her know who she raised," Kradislav Vlasnikov suggested.
Following the incident with Yunusov, Chechnya's Minister of National Policy, External Relations, Press, and Information, Akhmed Dudayev, declared that violence against women is unacceptable in the region. "In the republic, women are protected by law, religious norms, and the traditions of the republic's peoples," Grozny Inform quoted him as saying.
The Chechen authorities' statement on protecting women became a separate topic of discussion. Some users greeted the officials' words with skepticism.
"They protect women, very funny," said Anna Kaii. "Especially for those who live in the 'norm' of daily violence against women," wrote Zaur Bagadarin.
In June 2023, the BBC released the documentary "When I Escaped" about young women from the North Caucasus who managed to escape the control of their families. For victims of domestic violence, escape often becomes the only option to save their lives, human rights activists emphasized.
"The investigation will conclude that the aggressive woman attacked first, and he was only defending himself," Sergei Ukrainets noted skeptically.
"We don't have that kind of attitude toward women, especially strangers and older women. And I'm sure he'll be held accountable for it," Liza Lyanova expressed her opinion.
Yunusov's actions were also commented on by a "Caucasian Knot" reader with the nickname "dannie." "Raising a hand to another man's woman is much more serious than beating a man or another man's child. Between the first and second wars in Chechnya, there was a case in our area where a very drunk guy harassed a young woman who was returning from work late at night. It got to the point where he punched her several times and tore the sleeve of her dress. Her husband and brothers almost immediately went looking for him. They identified who it was, literally a day or two later found the apartment where he was hiding, and carried out an act of retaliation - they beat him, then took off his pants (which is considered a terrible disgrace among Chechens), and dumped him in the local market. The elders then had to put a lot of effort into reconciling the parties," he wrote.
A reader of the "Caucasian Knot" with the nickname janyce expressed solidarity with blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov (included in the register of foreign agents), who He compared the authorities' mild reaction to Yunusov's actions with the much harsher reaction to the insults to Kadyrov's relatives and his close associates.
"I agree with Tumso Abdurakhmanov. If this had involved insulting women (let alone beating them) from Kadyrov's family, or even someone from his inner circle, the reaction would have been not just harsh, but brutal. And it could have affected not only the perpetrator himself, but also his relatives. But Yunusov got off with merely being expelled from the Akhmat fight club. At least for now," wrote this reader in their comment.
It's worth noting that the Chechen authorities have also punished people who, for other reasons, have displeased Ramzan Kadyrov. In October 2018, Kadyrov responded harshly to a video of a Chechen native throwing a tin can at passengers on public transportation in Moscow, declaring, "Akhmat is power." The young man publicly apologized for his actions and, at Kadyrov's request, returned to Chechnya, where he was assigned to street cleaning.
The T-shirt Yunusov was wearing during the incident bears the word Firdaws. According to Sharia law, Firdaus is the best and most exalted place in the Gardens of Eden, according to the Islamic website MuslimClub.ru. The name "Firdaws" also belongs to a fashion house, headed in 2016 by Aishat Kadyrova, the daughter of the head of Chechnya. The fashion house's designer clothing is sold in brick-and-mortar stores in Moscow, Grozny, and the Chechen village of Kezenoy-Am. The Firdaus website offers men's T-shirts with the "Firdaws" logo, but the T-shirt Yunusov wore is not in the catalog.
Courts in Chechnya fine those accused of battery
Battery or other violent actions that cause physical pain but do not result in consequences are considered an administrative offense unless they constitute a criminal offense. According to Article 6.1.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, battery carries a fine of 5,000 to 30,000 rubles, or arrest for 10 to 15 days, or up to 120 hours of community service.
The corresponding Article 116 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (battery) carries a sentence of up to two years' imprisonment. Article 115 of the Russian Criminal Code (intentional infliction of minor bodily harm resulting in short-term impairment or minor permanent loss of general ability to work) carries a penalty of up to one year of correctional labor or up to four months of arrest.
According to the texts of verdicts collected on the website "Judicial and Regulatory Acts of the Russian Federation," courts in Chechnya have imposed monetary fines on defendants charged with battery.
For example, in March 2019, a court in Gudermes found a local resident guilty under Article 116 of the Russian Criminal Code and sentenced him to a fine of 5,000 rubles. In August 2014, a magistrate's court in Chechnya fined a man accused of assault and battery 10,000 rubles. A district court in Grozny imposed a similar penalty in 2018 on a man who beat his ex-wife's mother, causing her "multiple bodily injuries and a concussion." The man was found guilty under Article 116 of the Russian Criminal Code and fined 10,000 rubles.