Laura Avtorkhanova left the police department in Tbilisi

Chechnya native Laura Avtorkhanova, who fled domestic violence and was found by her relatives in Tbilisi, left the police station and headed to a safe place. She told human rights activists that she was not going to return to her homeland.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" reported, on July 13, Laura Avtorkhanova, who fled Chechnya from domestic violence, was found by her relatives in Tbilisi. They beat up a shelter employee who tried to help her. Later, Laura came to the police to write a statement that she voluntarily wanted to leave Georgia and return to Russia. Human rights activists suggested that the girl made this decision under pressure.

Laura Avtorkhanova left the police department after giving testimony and answering police questions. Now she is "free and safe," the Crisis Group SK SOS (included in the register of foreign agents by the Russian Ministry of Justice) reported on its Telegram channel at 05:33 Moscow time.

Laura is heading to a safe place where she can rest.

"The police also intend to find out how relatives, for whom a protective order was issued, could end up in Georgia next to Laura. Now Laura is heading to a safe place where she can rest after a hard night," the publication says.

The human rights group "Marem" also reported on its Telegram channel at 05:34 Moscow time that the girl had left the police department. "Laura just left the police station, where she gave testimony and answered police questions. Now Laura is heading to a safe place," the publication says.

Two hours earlier, "Marem" reported details of Avtorkhanova's stay at the police station. "Laura is talking to the police together with her lawyer - according to the police themselves, the girl is not in any danger now, there are no relatives near her. Before that, she spoke on the phone with her parents, who assured her that no one would forcibly take her out of Georgia," the report says.

In a conversation with us, Laura said that she does not intend to return to Russia

21:12 06.05.2025

Human rights activists consider the threat to the girl who fled from Ingushetia to be real

Statements by girls who fled from the regions of the North Caucasus about the threat from their relatives often have good grounds, and the return of the fugitives home almost always leads to their further discrimination by the community.

Before this, human rights activists reported that there were also activists in the department who were beaten by people from Chechnya who came for Laura. "We don't know where her relatives are, but they are not at the police station. In a conversation with us, Laura said that she does not intend to return to Russia," the publication notes.

The problem of domestic violence in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan affects women of different ages, but it is mainly young women under 30 who try to escape from it, human rights activists from the Ad Rem team noted in 2023. The problem of evacuating victims of domestic violence is most acute in these regions, since the authorities and security forces there take the side of family aggressors. For victims of domestic violence, escape often becomes the only opportunity to save their lives.

In December 2023, Saida Sirazhudinova, President of the Center for the Study of Global Issues of Our Time and Regional Problems "Caucasus. World. Development", published a report "Domestic Violence in the North Caucasus: A Report on the Results of Monitoring the Situation in the Region and an Analysis of Judicial Practice". According to the report, in Chechnya, "honor killings" are the dominant motive for the murder of women.

Women whose behavior their relatives consider a disgrace to the family can become victims of "honor killings" in the Caucasus. These murders are committed by relatives themselves, most often a father or brother, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Honor killings" in the North Caucasus".