In December 2017, Margarita Gracheva’s husband took her into a forest and cut her hands off with an axe.

Her case has highlighted activists’ fears that the softening of Russia’s laws applying to domestic violence may be emboldening abusers.

First offences where the victim is not hospitalised are no longer treated as criminal offences and penalties have been reduced, under legal changes brought in in February 2017.

Her now ex-husband Dmitry Grachev has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Produced, filmed and edited by Elizaveta Vereykina

To view video go to: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-46213534/russia-domestic-abuse-my-husband-chopped-off-my-hands