Russian woman ruled unfit to be a mother because of tattoos and piercings

A court in Russia has reportedly ruled that a mother-of-three is unfit to be a parent due to her piercings and tattoos.

Instagram posts submitted to the court in the southern republic of Dagestan by the ex-husband of Nina Tseretilova, 33, as part of a custody battle were evidence for the judgement, as reported by The Moscow Times.

Tseretilova has described the ruling as “absurd” on Instagram and is reportedly appealing the judgement at the Supreme Court.

In an Instagram post, she said: “The region’s mental peculiarities need to be taken into account, specifically not to post any stories or express my own opinion and to keep quiet playing a ‘weak woman’.”

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The 33-year-old has reportedly not seen her daughter and two sons for more than three months.

The court decision said: “It follows from the submitted photos and videos that N.Sh. Tseretilova leads a lifestyle that does not comport with the rules and norms of the behaviour of a mother with many children.

“There are tattoos with words on her body.”

Her ex-husband claims on social media that the reason he won the custody battle is that his former partner was a neglectful mother and allegedly attended nightclubs.

Authorities in the Dagestan region have been accused of infringing women’s rights and clamping down on human rights groups.

In February last year Human Right Watch (HRW) reported that police in the area raided the homes of activists who provide support for women who are survivors of domestic violence.

Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said at the time: “These outrageous police raids show the poisonous climate for NGOs in Russia, and particularly in the North Caucasus.

“These are overt attempts to suppress independent civic activity, instill fear, and keep activists in a perpetual state of uncertainty.”