Ala kachuu

Ala kachuu (Kyrgyz: ала качуу, Russian: аля качуу) is bride kidnapping that takes place within Kyrgyzstan. In spite of being illegal, it is still widespread in rural areas within Kyrgyzstan, and the laws against it are rarely enforced. It rarely occurs in urban areas. This act, of course, has resulted in many people worldwide being shocked by such crimes. Various defenders within Kyrgyzstan have stated that it is merely culture, and not abuse, in spite of being considered a human rights abuse by the United Nations.

During the Soviet era of Kyrgyzstan, it seldomly occurred. However, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, the "cultural act" became widespread in rural areas. It has been caught on camera, and all women and girls who fall victim to this "culture" are shown in great despair, sometimes even with their relatives encouraging their victimization. Some estimates suggest that around 30% of all married couples within Kyrgystan as of today involved a kidnapping.

Kyrgyzstan's government has been criticized for not taking greater steps to prevent this.