22:55, 30 August 2023

Human rights defenders alarmed by Chechen Ombudsman’s report on visit to Suleimanova, who escaped from home

Seda Suleimanova at the meeting with Mansur Soltaev, photo: https://t.me/chechombudsman/2259

In his report on his visit to Seda Suleimanova, who was delivered from Saint Petersburg, Chechen Ombudsman Mansur Soltaev posted not a video of their conversation, but only a photo in which human rights defenders noted a mark similar to a hematoma on the young woman’s neck, the “SK SOS Crisis Group”* reported.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on August 29, Chechen Ombudsman Mansur Soltaev reported on his visit to Seda Suleimanova. He announced that the young woman was not in danger and she was safe.

On August 23, 26-year-old Seda Suleimanova, who had fled from Chechnya to Saint Petersburg, and her partner were visited by the police. Law enforcers took the young people to a police station, explaining that the young woman was suspected of stealing jewellery. Then Seda Suleimanova was sent to Grozny, where she was questioned as a witness in a case on theft and handed over to her uncle and aunt. Advocates were not allowed to visit their client with reference to the Seda Suleimanova’s refusal from their services.

Mansur Soltaev has posted only a photo with Seda Suleimanova, although “in similar cases, the authorities usually release a video,” the “SK SOS Crisis Group”* notes.

“Mansur Soltaev did not explain why Seda Suleimanova is not allowed to go home to Saint Petersburg and to contact her fiancé Stanislav Kudryavtsev. Besides, the photo shows a trace on the Seda Suleimanova’s neck of unknown origin,” the human rights project reports in its Telegram channel.

The partner of Seda Suleimanova “is very worried about the posted photo, and he has noted that Seda looks depressed.”

Let us remind you that in October 2022, Seda Suleimanova addressed the “SK SOS Crisis Group”*, as she was afraid that her family members could kill her, thus committing an “honour killing”, since her relatives from Grozny were not satisfied with her lack of religiosity.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 30, 2023 at 07:38 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot