In Chechnia, teacher at private Islamic school beat children with sticks

Teacher beating a child. Photo: video screenshot of beating at Islamic school in Gudermes

On 14 July 2025, the Chechen Investigative Committee announced an inquiry into the beating of minors at the private Islamic hafiz school “An-Nur” in Gudermes. A teacher at the institution, where children memorize the Quran by heart, was hitting students with a stick during lessons. This was reported by Gazeta.Ru.

Footage posted on social media shows the teacher striking at least four boys on the legs and other parts of the body. One of the boys falls down, while the others are forced to lie on the floor and do physical exercises. Later, the mother of one of the victims posted photos of bruises on her child’s body.

The regional children’s rights commissioner, Khamzat Khirakhmatov, stated that the incident occurred a month and a half ago and that the teacher has been fired. According to him, “measures were taken, and the situation is under control.”

The Investigative Committee clarified: “During monitoring of social networks, a video was found showing a teacher at a school in the city of Gudermes beating two underage students with a stick.”

A preliminary investigation is underway under Article 117 of the Russian Criminal Code (“Torture”), which carries a maximum penalty of up to 7 years in prison.

Official channels associated with the Chechen authorities reported that the matter has been “resolved” but provided no details.

On social media, users condemned the incident, calling violence in religious schools a “systemic practice that people prefer to turn a blind eye to.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Russia was the first country in the world to officially recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

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