The body of a missing Chechen woman who had reportedly fled domestic violence in her native republic of Chechnya to Armenia has been found in a rented apartment in Yerevan following a tip-off, Armenian police said Monday.
The woman, identified as 23-year-old Ayshat Baimuradova, had been reported missing since Friday, sparking concerns over a possible forced return.
Baimuradova was last seen on Wednesday, when activists said she left to meet a friend she had connected with via Instagram.
Activist Daniil Chebykin raised the alarm about Baimuradova’s disappearance, claiming that her Instagram friend’s followers included people allegedly linked to Chechen authorities.
“As far as I understand, it was a setup,” the investigative news outlet The Insider quoted an anonymous acquaintance as saying, rejecting the possibility that Baimuradova may have died by suicide.
Baimuradova had been reportedly living with friends in Yerevan after leaving Chechnya with the help of a human rights organization that assists women from the North Caucasus region.
Russian human rights groups have regularly highlighted the issue of domestic abuse against women in the conservative republic of Chechnya.
Armenian police said they were working to clarify the circumstances surrounding Baimuradova’s death.
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