A woman who had fled Chechnya following death threats from her family has been forcibly returned to her home, Chechnya’s human rights commissioner said late Tuesday.
Seda Suleimanova fled the Muslim-majority region in October 2022 with the help of the human rights group SK SOS after her family warned that she could be killed in an "honor killing" for refusing to be married off to a man.
Police accompanied by Chechen nationals in plainclothes detained Suleimanova in St. Petersburg last Wednesday as part of a criminal case into alleged jewelry theft in Chechnya.
She was transferred to the republic of Chechnya, where she was interrogated as a witness and then handed over to her family, SK SOS said Friday.
Mansur Soltaev, Chechnya’s human rights ombudsman, late Tuesday published a photograph of the 26-year-old Suleimanova sitting in a long dress and headscarf next to him.
“She feels good. Her rights are not being violated and she’s not harassed,” Soltaev said on the Telegram messaging app.
“I made sure during the conversation that she’s not threatened by anything, she’s safe,” he continued, adding that he also spoke with Suleimanova’s relatives.
Suleimanova’s fiance Stanislav Kudryavtsev, who lived with her in St. Petersburg, told human rights group SK SOS that she looks “depressed” in the photograph, while also noting that she appeared to have a large bruise on her neck.
Chechnya’s strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov has sought to impose Islamic values in his conservative region despite Russia’s status as a secular country. He is also accused by international rights groups of overseeing widespread human rights abuses.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
