19-year-old Liya escaped from her controlling family and a life dictated by tradition in Chechnya. She dreamt of a free and independent life, away from the oppressive society led by Vladimir Putin’s key ally Ramzan Kadyrov. She is one among many young Chechen women who dare to flee the Muslim-majority region, where women are traditionally expected to be obedient and serve their husbands or male relatives. Recently women have been using social media platforms to seek help from activists or go pub

ECCHR: No justice in sight for grave crimes in Chechnya

Honour crimes: Women in Chechnya forced to suffer in silence