Rights defenders treat Gireeva's return home as voluntary

Leyla Gireeva, who ran away from home due to domestic violence, has returned to Ingushetia voluntarily, human rights defenders have confirmed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 1, 2023, the SK SOS Crisis Group reported that Leyla Gireeva, a resident of Nazran, had returned back to her family. Gireeva's decision to return to Ingushetia was due to severe stress suffered by her, human rights defenders have suggested.

Now, Mark Alekseev, Leyla Gireeva's advocate, has stated that she was not forced to return home, and there was no pressure on her.

"The Leyla's decision has to do with external circumstances: her conflict with relatives and possible criminal prosecution. It seems to us that she has returned home voluntarily," said Alexandra Miroshnikova, the press secretary for the SK SOS Crisis Group, emphasizing that after talking to Gireeva, the Crisis Group has concluded that the girl felt fine.

On February 1, Svetlana Anokhina, a rights defender, also contacted Gireeva. According to her story, the girl feels fine. "She said that no one beats her, and no one oppresses her," Ms Anokhina has added.

Let us remind you that Leyla Gireeva, 18, was exposed to domestic violence and "jinn expulsion", which prompted her to run away from home on November 14, 2022, Svetlana Anokhina has explained. After the escape, her relatives accused Leyla of a theft in order to put her on the wanted list. The girl, in her turn, wrote an application about the threat of murder by relatives.