Human rights activists and friends praised the report about Mintsayeva on Chechen television.

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A report about Belkisa Mintsayeva, shown on Grozny TV, claims that her family has been reunited. She herself says that everything is fine with them. According to human rights activists, the most important thing is that Mintsayeva is free and with her children, while her friends say she looks depressed in the video.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on May 28, Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya Akhmed Dudayev published a short video with Belkisa Mintsayeva, who stated that she was doing well and asked that her situation not be made into a news story. According to the human rights activist, the video raises doubts, in particular because she failed to inform her family that she did not need help.

The Grozny State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company published a report about Belkisa Mintsayeva on its Instagram account on May 29. A video message from Mintsayeva, previously distributed by Akhmed Dudayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya, is part of this report.

In the report, Mintsayeva is referred to as a "resident of the Nadterechny District," although she herself says she left Chechnya after finishing school and never lived in the republic. The report's author claims that numerous bloggers and tabloid newspapers have spread information that Mintsayeva "was allegedly kidnapped." The report's description states that "previously, false information has been repeatedly disseminated on social media and in a number of liberal media outlets" about Mintsayeva's abduction, that she "was 'buried' alive several times, and that her husband was groundlessly accused of being the kidnapper."

Mintsayeva, according to the report's authors, is hosting guests "at her home, setting a delicious table." "Her life found itself in the crosshairs of the tabloid press, unexpectedly even for her. She considers herself an ordinary person who was suddenly subjected to a wave of unwanted mentions on social media," the report states.

In the interview, Mintsayeva (with both her daughters sitting next to her in the frame) said she worked at a bank and at the Pension Fund. "I didn't really live here (in Chechnya - Caucasian Knot note). I left after school, finished my studies there, and my children were born there. We all live there, lived there, and were registered there until now," Mintsayeva said.

The author of the report continued, saying that there had been a divorce. "There were also domestic squabbles over the upbringing of the children" - the eldest daughter wanted to live with her mother, and the youngest "chose her father, with whom she grew up in recent years." "But now that's in the past, the family has reunited, but rumors and gossip surrounding her name continue to this day. They are spread by those trying to earn Western grants on the topic of the rights of Caucasian women," the report says. "Everything has already been resolved, everything is fine with us," Mintsayeva asserts.

"One can only hope that financial interests and false (in quotes) concern "The campaign of liberal media and bloggers aimed at promoting their social media accounts will not hinder the new chapter in this family's life," the report concludes. However, it does not show a single shot of Mintsayeva next to her husband.

On May 30, Chechen Human Rights Commissioner Mansur Soltayev commented on the situation with Belkisa Mintsayeva on his Telegram channel. He stated, in particular, that "women's rights in the North Caucasus republics have always been reliably protected by law, and this issue is given special attention."

According to him, the activities of "some so-called crisis organizations, which, under the guise of helping alleged victims of domestic violence, interfere in the internal affairs of families, are perplexing." He called the situation with Mintsayeva an attempt to "play another high-profile card" and "the usual information noise." But, Soltayev writes, everyone saw Mintsayeva "alive and well." She confirmed "that there is no reason to panic and called for an end to the media harassment of her family."

Soltayev stated that he has been "engaged in resolving family conflicts" for a long time, most of which "can be resolved without the media hype." He is prepared to publicly present specific positive examples. Soltayev also addressed "government officials and public figures": "I urge you to under no circumstances follow the lead of the aforementioned organizations that position themselves as crisis centers. It is necessary to clearly understand their true goals, and they are not at all difficult to guess. These structures are obliged to work off the grants they receive, and to do this, they constantly need new victims."

Human rights activists and friends noted inaccuracies in the report

Belkisa Mintsayeva's appearance and behavior during the filming of the report were commented on May 30 by Ekaterina, coordinator of the Marem movement, to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. Neroznikova, head of the organization "Motherless Caucasus" Lidiya Mikhalchenko, and Mintsaeva's friends.

Mintsaeva's desire and intention to be with her children seem very real.

Ekaterina Neroznikova noted that it is difficult to speak about Mintsaeva's behavior during filming. "We know that people in videos can appear nervous and tense, regardless of external circumstances. Maybe they are simply nervous. It is clear that the younger daughter is behaving spontaneously, while the older one is clearly more tense. But the younger one has lived with her father for the past few years. And, besides, younger children often behave more spontaneously. The older the children, the more camera-shy they are, simply within the bounds of their age. Therefore, I think we can't say, 'Let's evaluate how they behave in the video and find out what's really going on with them.'" "It's happening. I guess the only thing I can say for sure is that the younger girl is acting more spontaneously because she's been living with her father's relatives all this time. For her, of course, this is a more familiar context. Mintsaeva's desire and intention to be with her children seem very realistic. And she's already gone through a lot to be with her daughters. The fact that she put herself in such great danger, and the fact that she previously contacted the Investigative Committee and recorded a video—all of this speaks to her very serious intention to live with her children. And I believe that everything she's doing now once again emphasizes to us the seriousness of her intentions to live with her children. Everything else isn't really important," she said. Neroznikova also noted that the video doesn't confirm the thesis voiced there that everything has returned to normal in Mintsaeva's family. "For example, there's not a single shot of her next to her ex-husband. So I don't know, it's really unclear, "Well, it would be like they reconciled her with her husband or not," she emphasized.

I don't think Belkisa really wants to give up her career. And there's nothing about it in the video.

Lidiya Mikhalchenko noted that the most important thing the video showed was that Mintsayeva is alive and not currently under arrest. "This is the most important thing we know, and we are very happy about it. We welcome the decision of the Chechen authorities to stop persecuting the innocent mother of two underage girls. To be honest, I don't want to analyze the behavior of the children or Belkisa herself on camera. They behave according to the moment, and children always remain children, even in a dangerous situation. So, since they are still with their mother, they are apparently trying to believe in the best. I don't think Belkisa really wants to give up her career. And there's nothing about it in the video. Not a word. She is with her children and free. We celebrate this release; life should not stop for an energetic and talented expert like Belkisa. Thanks to information pressure, two State Duma deputies, and a prosecutor's investigation, she is no longer in custody. We are waiting to hear from her," she said.

Mintsaeva's friend Liza Umarova considered the ChGTRK report and the video included in it "staged." "It seems to me that she is depressed and hounded, and the children have sad eyes," she noted.

They keep looking at the floor. She looks completely different than usual—than the other videos on her blog.

Another friend of Mintsaeva, speaking on condition of anonymity, also noted that both the woman herself and Her daughters looked depressed. "They keep looking at the floor. She looks completely different from usual—from the other videos on her blog. She was very lively and active (her profession as a realtor suggested this), lived in Novosibirsk for many years, and yet in this report she walks around looking at the floor. Besides, she has a mortgage, and someone like that can't sit at home and do nothing—the mortgage payment won't pay itself," she said, suggesting that Mintsaeva might have been beaten and then held in custody for a long time to let the marks of the beating fade.

Mintsaeva's friend also drew attention to the report's voiceover. "There are male and female texts. So, judging by how it sounded, even though it was voiced by a journalist, this text was written by a very angry man. It's not a feminine text," she believes.

The Chechen authorities had previously published a video with other people whose fates were of active interest to journalists and human rights activists. For example, in August 2023, they published a video of Seda 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 was received in the following years. According to a number of sources, Seda Suleimanova was killed within a few months, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "The Abduction of Seda Suleimanova". Seda Suleimanova's friend Lena Patyaeva had already submitted information to the Investigative Committee about the possible location of her burial back in 2025.

In June 2023 Chechen security forces arrived at the Moscow airport to pick up Selima Ismailova, who had fled domestic violence, and the next day she was taken to Grozny. Some time later, Soltayev published a video of a conversation with Ismailova, stating that the girl was with her family, was completely fine, and was not being restricted. Telegram users speculated that Selima was forced to participate in the recording of this video.

On June 10, 2021, security forces took Khalimat Taramova, who was in a Makhachkala shelter for victims of domestic violence, to relatives in Chechnya. After returning from the shelter, she made another escape attempt. Immediately after Taramova's removal from the shelter, the Grozny State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company published a special report about her. In the report, Khalimat Taramova said she was glad to be home and assured, that she was "absolutely not being infringed upon" and was "being fed deliciously." The girl behaved unnaturally and could hardly have answered questions sincerely, the authors of the comments to the television report pointed out at the time and questioned the claims about her rights being respected in Chechnya.