The Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya published a video with Belkisa Mintsayeva.

Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya Akhmed Dudayev published a short video with Belkisa Mintsayeva, who has not been in contact for a month and a half since her detention by security forces.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," the Investigative Committee must verify the grounds for Belkisa Mintsayeva's detention in Chechnya, as the kidnapping charge in this case is inconsistent with law enforcement practice, State Duma Deputy Nina Ostanina stated in a letter to the head of the Investigative Committee. She requested information on Mintsayeva's whereabouts and condition, as well as a mitigation of her pretrial detention. Ksenia Goryacheva, a member of parliament from the New People party, also contacted the Investigative Committee regarding Mintsayeva. The Russian Prosecutor's Office informed her that the republican agency had been instructed to conduct an investigation, and the Chechen Prosecutor's Office reported that the appeal had been accepted for consideration.

Chechnya's Deputy Prime Minister and head of the republic's Ministry of Nationalities and Information, Akhmed Dudayev, published a video recording of Belkisa Mintsayeva this evening. He posted the 22-second recording on his Telegram channel and Instagram page*.

In the video, Belkisa Mintsayeva is standing outside during daylight hours. Red brick buildings, presumably private homes, are visible behind and next to her. Judging by the position of her hand, she is recording herself.

“I am addressing all Telegram channels, Sobchak, and various other people who write about us, mention me, and my children. We are fine, I am alive and well, and so are my children… I kindly ask you not to make a news story out of us and not to write about us everywhere. Thank you for your understanding,” Mintsayeva says in the video. She speaks the last two sentences after a deep breath, quickly, and without any visible emotion.

The video was published by Dudayev at 8:19 PM Moscow time, three hours after the "Caucasian Knot" article about the Chechen prosecutor's office's response to the State Duma deputy's appeal. He declared the recording "a response to all the clowns."

An Instagram user* with the nickname yli33_91, commenting on Dudayev's post, doubted that Belkisa was at large and had recorded the video voluntarily. "Why did you stay in touch for so long? Why didn't you immediately contact the journalists and human rights activists you had previously contacted? It's strange; they probably detained her and now they've released her because the information spread too widely online," she wrote.

In response, several users supporting Dudayev offered their own explanations, including suggestions that Mintsayeva "isn't that active on social media" and reminders that "a person has a right to privacy."

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that Chechen authorities had previously published videos of other people whose fates had attracted the attention of journalists and human rights activists. For example, in August 2023, they published a video of Sedaya Suleimanova, who had been brought from St. Petersburg. Chechen Human Rights Commissioner Mansur Soltayev then stated that the girl was not in any danger, but no further communication from her has been received in the following years. According to a number of sources, Seda Suleimanova was killed shortly after this, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "The Abduction of Seda Suleimanova".