St. Petersburg Police Detain Woman Who Fled Chechnya Over Domestic Violence

Seda Suleimanova

Police in the Russian city of St. Petersburg have detained and reportedly sent back a woman who had fled her native North Caucasus region of Chechnya because of fears for her safety, the SK SOS human rights group said on August 24, adding that Seda Suleimanova may face an "honor killing" upon her return.

Suleimanova's partner, Sergei Kudryavtsev, told SK SOS that police visited their apartment in St. Petersburg late on August 23 and took them to police station No. 54, where Suleimanova was informed that she is suspected of stealing jewelry, a charge she rejected.

Kudryavtsev said police officers took Suleimanova to the airport and that he is not sure of her current location, though he fears she may have been transferred to Chechnya.

Officers at police station No. 54 reportedly told the SOTA Telegram channel that Suleimanova had been transferred to Chechnya.

In October last year, Suleimanova turned to the SK SOS for help leaving Chechnya, saying that her relatives may kill her for being "insufficiently religious."

Human right defenders say relatives in the North Caucasus often file complaints accusing fugitive women of crimes, usually theft, to legalize their detainment and return to their relatives. Once back, the women face violent abuse.

Domestic violence has been a problem in Russia's North Caucasus region for decades. Victims who manage to flee often say that they may face "punishment," including "honor killings," if they are forced to return.

Usually, local authorities take the side of the accused abusers.

Last October, four sisters from another North Caucasus region, Daghestan, managed to flee to Georgia with the help of human rights organizations after they faced domestic violence.

In August 2022, another woman from Daghestan, Patimat Idrisova, managed to leave Russia and change her identity after she faced domestic violence.

With reporting by SOTA