A petition demanding an investigation into Baimuradova's death has garnered over 450 signatures.
More than 450 people have supported a call for Armenian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation and identify those responsible for the death of Chechen native Ayshat Baimuradova.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," 23-year-old Chechen native Ayshat Baimuradova, who fled domestic violence to Armenia with the help of human rights activists, failed to return from a walk on October 15 when she went to meet a friend. On October 17, police issued a search warrant for Baimuradova, and on October 19, Ayshat was found dead in a rented apartment on Demirchyan Street in Yerevan. Baimuradova fled to Armenia to escape domestic violence, but publicly criticized Kadyrov's regime, a human rights activist said.
Aishat Baimuradova told human rights activists that she fled "to escape beatings." According to her, she was forced to leave her home due to violence at the hands of her husband, and she could not return to her parents' home because she feared facing violence at the hands of her father. After leaving Russia, she came to Armenia.
A petition calling on the Armenian authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the murder of Aishat Baimuradova was published on the Change.org platform, the human rights organization Crisis Group SK SOS (included in the register of foreign agents) reported on October 28.
"In Russia, petitions are rarely taken seriously, but in Armenia, they have a real influence on government decisions, according to human rights activists working in the country," the publication states.
The petition, titled "Justice for Aishat: Call on Armenia to Conduct a Transparent Investigation", was posted on Change.org on October 27 by the user "North Caucasus SOS." The text of the petition is published in English and Russian. "We call on the Armenian authorities to conduct a transparent, thorough, and independent investigation—and to take all necessary measures to bring those responsible to justice," it said.
Aishat Baimuradova fled Chechnya, fleeing domestic violence and threats to her life, the authors of the appeal noted. "With the help of human rights activists, she found temporary refuge in Armenia. But even after leaving Russia, Aishat continued to receive threats for speaking out about freedom, women's rights, and oppression in the North Caucasus. Her story is no exception. Many women in the North Caucasus flee violence, often becoming victims of "honor killings." Those who manage to leave Russia face persecution and attacks abroad. The practice of threats, intimidation, and violence against those seeking safety outside Russia must be exposed and stopped," the petition states.
The problem of domestic violence in the North Caucasus republics affects women of all ages, but it is primarily young women under 30 who seek to escape, human rights activists noted in 2023. The problem of evacuating victims of domestic violence is particularly acute in these regions, as authorities and security forces there side with domestic abusers. For victims of domestic violence, escape often becomes the only option to save their lives.
The petition's authors called for "identifying not only the immediate perpetrators, but also the motives, accomplices, organizers, and those who ordered the crime." "The investigation must remain independent and free from any interference or political pressure from the Russian authorities," the petition states.
As of 9:10 a.m. Moscow time on October 29, the petition had garnered 453 signatures.
As a reminder, 20 Russian human rights activists and organizations previously called on the Armenian authorities to ensure an open and effective investigation into the murder of Aishat Baimuradova and take measures to bring those responsible to justice.
Meanwhile, a Chechen government official blamed human rights activists for Baimuradova's death and published voicemails that, according to him, confirm the girl's conflict with those who helped her escape. Commenters called his version absurd, not ruling out the possibility that the audio recordings were falsified.
Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/416752