Residents of Chechnya start making DNA tests to search for children in Iraq

Taking DNA blood tests has been organized in Chechnya for close relatives of the children found in Syria or Iraq, the Chechen authorities have explained. Local residents hope that DNA tests will allow them to return their grandchildren home.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 27, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, ordered to conduct DNA tests in Chechnya in order to establish relatives of the Russian children and women, who are now in the Middle East, and help to return them home.

More than 20 close relatives of such children and women have already given their blood for DNA tests, the Ministry of Public Health of Chechnya has reported.

Meanwhile, the first reports about DNA tests "provoked a stir among the population," as the media failed to specify that this applies only to certain people, not the whole population of Chechnya.

The agreement with the Iraqi authorities assumes that all the children of Russian citizens under the age of 10 will be returned to Russia.

On May 31, Ramzan Kadyrov wrote about the expected return of 94 children to Russia. According to his story, these are children of the women convicted by Iraqi authorities.

Residents of Chechnya, who are trying to return their relatives from the Middle East, were encouraged by the news about DNA tests.

"I'm ready to give all my blood drop by drop, if only they were alive and returned home," Taisa, a Chechen resident, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.