Telegram blocks Russian group targeting women over 'inappropriate' clothes

A Telegram channel that published personal details of North Ossetian women and called for violence against them over their appearance has been blocked following a public intervention by journalist Ksenia Sobchak.

The channel, Kavkazskaya Obshchina (Caucasian Community), became inaccessible hours after Ms Sobchak published a video on 29 July appealing to the North Caucasian republic's head, Sergei Menyailo, to intervene.

The immediate trigger for her appeal was the harassment of local resident Karina Kodzaeva. After Ms Kodzaeva posted a video on Instagram, the group published her personal information, described her as a "disgrace to Ossetia", and urged followers to locate her. Comments under the post included calls for physical violence, forced hair-shaving, and public humiliation.

In her video, Ms Sobchak called on Mr Menyailo to protect women who were being targeted simply because they "dress openly, use social media, and simply speak". She stressed that North Ossetia is part of the Russian Federation and subject to federal law.

Before the channel was taken down, administrators from Kavkazskaya Obshchina posted direct threats against Mr Menyailo, warning they would "bring him to his knees" if regional authorities launched a crackdown.

Anti-harassment campaigners who have spent months reporting the group welcomed the shutdown.

"Together, we have achieved the main goal: the Kavkazskaya Obshchina Telegram channel has been blocked," the group There Is No Place for Bullying in the Caucasus said in a statement. They added that activist Aleksandr Koven played a key role in securing the ban and said they would continue seeking criminal prosecution for those involved in the doxxing campaign.

While the channel's removal was broadly welcomed across the region, some local figures questioned Ms Sobchak's motives.

Soslan Bestaev, a regional lawmaker for the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), said that while he opposed radicalism, issues in North Ossetia should be resolved internally rather than by federal media figures.

"Addressing the head of the republic in this manner is not entirely appropriate," Mr Bestaev said, adding that residents respect traditional values but reject extremism.

Kavkazskaya Obshchina emerged in early 2026 claiming to defend "traditional values". It regularly posted details of local women — including dance instructor Diana Pogorelova and entrepreneur Alana Sontse — demanding their male relatives punish them or force them to issue public apologies.