in the campaign “Sovietization of Chechnya: revkoms in place of Soviets, punitive operations and Cheka executions (1920-1924)”
In 1923-1924 the Chechen revkom made hostage-taking an official practice of the fight against "banditry": "Measures were taken to register all criminals present in Chechnya, and the practice was introduced of taking hostages from among the close relatives of bandits in hiding"[1].