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According to a
2018 report by the Dutch NGO Stichting Justice Initiative, there were at least 33 cases of so-called honor killings in the Russian North Caucasus between 2008 and 2017. Of the 39 victims, 36 were female. Most of the victims were daughters, sisters, wives, cousins or stepdaughters of their killers, the report said. Only 14 of the incidents led to criminal prosecutions, producing 13 convictions and prison sentences ranging between six and 15 years. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, the report added. In reality, only a small portion of such crimes ever become known and are taken up by law enforcement and the media. Most cases are dismissed by local authorities as accidents.