Islamic leaders in the Russian republic of Chechnya have ruled that clergy may approve a marriage only after receiving proof that both members of the couple are HIV negative, Reuters reports. This ruling is against Russian law, but Chechnya’s Muslim spiritual leaders are greatly respected by the populace, and the mufti who head the country’s Sunni hierarchy is closely tied to Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s authoritarian president. Injection drug use, notably of heroin, has recently fueled the spread of HIV in Russia, but it has had little effect in Chechnya.

To read the Reuters article, click here.