Uzbek man detained for attempted snatching bride in Kyrgyzstan
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 April 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Uzbek man detained for attempted snatching bride in Kyrgyzstan, 22 April 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5565ba2715.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 22, 2015
By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
BISHKEK – Kyrgyz authorities have arrested an Uzbek man for attempting to snatch a bride in the city of Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan.
Osh city police told RFE/RL on April 21 that a 27-year-old resident of Uzbekistan's Kuvasai district tried to kidnap a 20-year-old woman in Osh, intending to marry her.
The man was arrested and charged with "kidnapping a woman for forced marriage."
Kyrgyzstan has toughened punishment for bride-snatching in recent years after human rights organizations criticized the government for doing nothing about the phenomenon, which is widespread across Central Asia.
Rights activists say about 12,000 Kyrgyz women and girls are kidnapped and forced into marriage every year.
In 2012, the government launched a campaign against the traditional practice and increased the potential punishment to 10 years in prison.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
