Activist reports attempted break-in amidst campaign for justice for disappeared Chechen woman

Varvara Kosheleva, an activist and one of the organisers of a public campaign demanding an investigation into the disappearance of Chechen native Seda Suleymanova, has reported an attempted break-in at her flat. She made the statement with the support of the human rights initiative  North Caucasus SOS Crisis Group (NC SOS) .

According to Kosheleva, the incident took place amidst ongoing pressure on activists calling for details surrounding the circumstances of Suleymanova’s disappearance.

The young woman went missing in 2023 and, according to unconfirmed reports, may have been killed by her family.

‘Yesterday, unknown individuals tried to break into my flat. They quickly ran off as soon as other people appeared on the floor. The spring mechanisms on the doors in the hallway had been removed. I have no doubt this is connected to pressure being exerted because of my public activities. But I want to stress that everything I do is legal — I appeal to state bodies in order to find a missing person. The whole world wants to know where Seda Suleymanova is, and so do I’, Kosheleva said.

NC SOS Crisis Group claims that Kosheleva had experienced similar incidents in the past. Previously, unknown individuals came to her home at 02:00, knocking persistently on her door, and saying ‘She’ll open the door — we’ll talk’. The group said these actions have been systematic and targeted at participants of the campaign in support of Suleymanova.

Suleymanova, originally from Chechnya, reportedly fled from her family in 2022 after being pressured to enter a marriage against her will. She had been living and working in St. Petersburg. In August 2023, she is believed to have been forcibly returned to Chechnya with the involvement of security forces. She has not been directly heard from since.

The public campaign to locate Suleymanova’s whereabouts was launched by her friend Lena Patyaeva and is backed by the NC SOS Crisis Group. It has gathered over 2,000 online signatures demanding an official investigation into her disappearance. Russia’s Investigative Committee had launched a murder investigation into her disappearance following a previous campaign.

Activists continue to call for a transparent and thorough investigation and the disclosure of any information regarding her fate. Their campaign includes public appeals from human rights defenders, civil society members, and individuals.

As of the time of publication, officials had not commented on Kosheleva’s report of the attempted break-in or on other incidents linked to her activism. It remains unclear whether any investigation into the episode has been launched.

Kosheleva has not responded to OC Media’s request for comment.

‘Thousands’ demand investigation into possible murder of Seda Suleymanova

A North Caucasus rights group reports that more than two thousand people have demanded that Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office investigate the possible murder of Seda Suleymanova. The North Caucasus SOS (NC SOS) Crisis Group, which works with queer people and people fleeing domestic abuse in the North Caucasus, shared a form for submitting requests to Russia’s Prosecutor’s Office, Investigative Committee, and Commissioner for Human Rights on 13 February in its Telegram channel. They urge

OC MediaLuiza Mchedlishvili