Aishat Baimuradova's killers threatened her acquaintance, a native of Dagestan.

A native of Dagestan, who lived in Yerevan and was friends with murdered Chechen native Ayshat Baimuradova, received threats from unknown individuals through her account. Law enforcement officials in Russia are searching for the young man.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the Investigative Committee of Armenia officially confirmed on February 3 human rights activists' reports regarding suspects in the murder of Chechen native Ayshat Baimuradova. For the first time, the agency officially named the defendants in the case, noting that Russia had ignored a request for assistance with the investigation. The Investigative Committee also noted that information about the suspects had been sent to Interpol.

A native of Dagestan, who left the republic due to harassment over his sexual orientation, received a threatening voice message from an unknown person who took over Ayshat Baimuradova's account after her murder. The message arrived the night of Baimuradova's death, according to a publication by the SOS* Crisis Group.

According to human rights activists, Mark was friends with Baimuradova while living in Yerevan. Like Ayshat, he attempted to obtain a humanitarian visa to an EU country but was denied. The young man recently learned from his mother, who remained in Dagestan, that security forces were looking for him: they claimed he was wanted under an administrative law for discrediting the army. Mark believes that the security forces' interest in him may have been sparked by his participation in pacifist protests and his social media posts.

Until the age of 16, the young man lived in Makhachkala. In college, he was bullied by a teacher and fellow students. Due to the harassment and threats, Mark first moved to St. Petersburg, and in November 2024, when he reached adulthood, he moved to Armenia. Due to his participation in protests in Yerevan, he also received threats—both on the street and through social media.

In September 2024, Mark told journalists that police officers, who were investigating the circumstances of his suicide attempt and learned of the bullying, recommended that he "move to another region" from Dagestan.

A gay man from Chechnya who fled the country spoke to the "Caucasian Knot" about how people of non-traditional sexual orientation live in Chechnya, and what happened to some of them after the mass roundups began. "If They Kill You, If Not Yours, Then Strangers": A Gay Man on Life in Chechnya and Fleeing Russia.

* are included in the Russian register of foreign agents.

**  The LGBT movement is recognized as an extremist organization in the Russian Federation.

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