Armenian authorities insist on the return of Baimuradova's body to her relatives.

Armenian law enforcement agencies investigating the murder of Chechen native Ayshat Baimuradova in Yerevan continue to attempt to contact her family. They insist on handing over the body to her formal relatives to avoid any future claims.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," 23-year-old Chechen native Ayshat Baimuradova was found dead in a rented apartment in Yerevan on October 19. She fled to Armenia to escape domestic violence, but publicly criticized Kadyrov's regime. Human rights activists have not received the final results of the examination of Baimuradova's body. A request was sent to Russia regarding her burial, but no one was found willing to take Baimuradova's body home within three months. The girl's partner, who lives in Yerevan, is seeking the right to bury Aishat, but the authorities refuse to hand over the body of the murdered woman to him, since, by law, only the next of kin can dispose of the body. On January 26, human rights activists appealed to the Armenian authorities with a petition, calling on them to hand over Aishat's body to her friends. Facebook* users debated responsibility for Baimuradova's funeral; some of them noted that relatives have the right to ignore requests if the girl has refused them.

Armenia continues to send official requests to Russia to locate Baimuradova's relatives and return her body to them, but has yet to receive a response, Ani Chatinyan, a lawyer for the Yerevan office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly "Vanadzor," told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "At the moment, Ayshat Baimuradova's body is in the morgue; no one has claimed it," Chatinyan said.

Despite the desire of Baimuradova's friends to bury her in Armenia, a final decision on who will receive the body has not yet been made. According to Chatinyan, the law "does not establish strict time limits for the body's custody, but the Armenian side is aware of the full extent of its responsibility." "If the body is not handed over to relatives, this could lead to future claims from the family," the lawyer noted. She added that "in any case, a decision must be made, since the issue is of a legal nature."

Chatinyan also reported that the investigation is ongoing, and that two people are still wanted on suspicion of murder. Human rights activists continue to insist on a comprehensive and detailed investigation into the incident, she emphasized. Although David Isteyev previously stated that the investigation into Baimuradova's case may have received some "directives from above," she has no information that law enforcement agencies were under any pressure in connection with this murder.

"We also demand that persons entering Armenia from high-risk countries undergo more thorough screening. This is necessary to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Persons wanted or suspected of involvement should be subject to certain restrictions, or other necessary measures should be taken by the state against them," Ani Chatinyan stated.

A representative of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that authorities are guided by the law "On Funerals," which stipulates that the body can only be handed over to the deceased's relatives: grandparents, parents, children, spouse, sister or brother, or grandchildren.

According to the same law, if relatives, close friends, or other persons refuse to organize the funeral, or if they are unavailable, "the funeral is organized by the head of the community at the deceased's last permanent place of residence, or by the Armenian police."

"We believe that the body should be handed over to the relatives, and we continue to work towards this end. "There are no directives or pressure, only the law and the understanding that claims at the international level from relatives are possible," explained an Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs employee.

* are listed as foreign agents.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.