A rally by members of Norway’s Chechen diaspora was held outside the Norwegian parliament in Oslo on 4 October, calling for an investigation into the death of 14-year-old Maryam Mutsalkhanova, who died while in the care of the child welfare service Barnevernet.

The Chechen diaspora in Norway called on the authorities to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy and to hold accountable, in accordance with the law, anyone found to be responsible. The organisers said this was necessary to prevent similar cases involving other children and their parents.

Participants also paid tribute to the girl and expressed their support for her family and relatives. The rally had been officially authorised by the Norwegian authorities.

As previously reported by Novy Dosh, Maryam Mutsalkhanova, a 14-year-old girl from a Chechen family, died on 9 September — about five weeks after Norwegian child welfare services removed her from her family and placed her in a child welfare facility. According to relatives, the removal followed a report alleging that her mother had hit her, which the family denies. After being placed in care, Maryam reportedly complained about problems with food and, shortly before her death, told her aunt by phone that she was hungry. The girl died about half an hour after that conversation.

Norwegian police later said a preliminary forensic examination indicated that Maryam had probably taken her own life. The authorities said there were currently no signs of a crime, but that they were continuing to establish the circumstances of her death and examining the operation of the facility where the girl had been staying. Maryam’s family and representatives of the Chechen community reject the suicide theory and are calling for a thorough investigation into all the circumstances surrounding her death.