A human rights activist revealed details of Baimuradova's death

Ayshat Baimuradova, a native of Chechnya who was found dead in Yerevan, suffered a long and painful death, and her killers waited for her to die, said David Isteyev, director of the SOS* Crisis Group. Investigators have not yet officially determined the cause of her death. 

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," 23-year-old Ayshat Baimuradova, a native of Chechnya, was found dead in a rented apartment in Yerevan on October 19. She fled domestic violence to Armenia, but publicly criticized Kadyrov's regime. Karina Iminova, who had summoned Ayshat to a meeting, and 30-year-old Said-Khamzat Baisarov, a native of Chechnya, were seen near the building where Baimuradova's body was found. Armenia must  provide state protection  to women who have fled Chechnya and other North Caucasus regions, activists at a picket in Yerevan declared.

David Isteyev, Director of the SOS* Investigative Committee Crisis Group, released some details about Aishat Baimuradova's death. Citing a source close to the investigation, journalists unveiled a new possible explanation for her death, but investigators have yet to officially release the forensic examination results. 

"She was found in the apartment near the front door. Since her shirt was pulled up, it was assumed she had tried to escape, to save herself. Her death was difficult, painful, and prolonged. The entire apartment was covered in blood. It appears her killers sat and waited for her to die," the SOS* Crisis Group Telegram channel quotes Isteyeva as saying. 

One of Russia's media outlets operating abroad published a report today about Aishat Baimuradova. It claims, among other things, that Karina Iminova, who summoned Aishat to a meeting on October 15, arrived in Yerevan only 24 hours earlier, on October 14. On October 16, Iminova, along with Said-Khamzat Baisarov, left the apartment where Baimuradova lay dying and flew to Moscow1. 

According to human rights activists, including Svetlana Anokhina, founder of the Marem group, Iminova gained Aishat's trust by claiming she could help her move from Armenia to Europe. Immediately before this, Baimuradova had attempted to obtain a humanitarian visa to Germany but was denied. 

Aishat Baimuradova's body remains in the morgue, and the Investigative Committee has not released an official determination of the cause of her death. According to the report, the autopsy could take up to a year, and a source close to the investigation claims that Baimuradova may have been poisoned, although strangulation has previously been suggested. David Isteyev expressed concern that Armenia "wants to hush up the case and hand it over to Russia."

Anokhina also confirmed that Baimuradova was a relative of the Chechen leader, and that her close relatives included members of the security forces. One of Aishat's friends noted that she "loved her homeland very much, called herself a proud Chechen, and wanted Chechnya to be free of Kadyrov." 

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