Baimuradova will be buried in Armenia at the state's expense.

More than 120 days after her death, the body of Chechen native Ayshat Baimuradova remains in the morgue. Investigators have decided to bury her at state expense.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," a petition calling for the return of Ayshat Baimuradova's body was published on January 23 on the Change.org platform by the human rights organization "Crisis Group SK SOS"*. The human rights activists noted that the girl's partner, who lives in Yerevan, is seeking the right to bury Ayshat, but by law, only the next of kin can dispose of the body. At the same time, representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs insist on the return of Baimuradova's body to her formal relatives to avoid future claims.

Human rights activist reveals details of Baimuradova's death

Aishat Baimuradova, who fled domestic violence, will be buried in Armenia at the state's expense. None of her relatives have come to claim her body, which has been in the Yerevan morgue for over 120 days. Armenian law enforcement agencies have twice contacted the Russian Federation to notify Baimuradova's relatives, but so far no one has responded to claim her remains. The Investigative Committee announced that Baimuradova's funeral will be conducted at the state's expense in accordance with established Armenian procedures. But the investigator hasn't yet decided when exactly 1 .

Republican legislation doesn't specify burial deadlines – in these cases, the responsible authorities make the decision themselves, based on the circumstances of the case, explains Artur Sakunts, Chairman of the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly. "What if the investigator decides to bury her now, and her father arrives in a week? The question will arise: on what basis did you bury her? You had to wait, didn't you? But how long can you wait? It's a question of reasonable timeframes," he emphasized.

Aishat Baimuradova, 23, a native of Chechnya, was found dead on October 19, 2025, in a rented apartment in Yerevan. 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.

Baimuradova told human rights activists that she fled "from beatings." According to her, she was forced to leave her home due to violence from her husband, and she could not return to her parents' home because she feared facing violence from her father. After leaving Russia, she came to Armenia.

Aishat Baimuradova's relatives live in the Gudermes district, and many of them, like the murdered woman's ex-husband, have ties to the security forces, wrote Caucasian Knot reader nerissa in a comment on January 30. "One of the reasons for the murder, as some observers believe, could have been that the girl not only led a lifestyle considered 'wrong' by her family, but also [...] dared to threaten her father by publicizing certain facts of his [behavior] and openly criticized the Chechen authorities. Thus, in addition to everything else, her murder can also be seen as a demonstration of her relatives' loyalty to the republic's leadership," the reader noted.

Karina Iminova, whom Aishat had met before her death, and 30-year-old Chechen native Said-Khamzat Baysarov were seen near the house where Baimuradova's body was found. According to human rights activists, Karina Iminova lied to acquaintances about her past and purposefully met people who had left Chechnya. Although she herself is not a native of Chechnya, she had visited the republic. Iminova and Baysarov left Armenia for Russia immediately after Baimuradova's murder.

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