Duma member Adam Delimkhanov has refused to intervene in an investigation into the disappearance of Seda Suleymanova, who is presumed to have been a victim of an ‘honour killing’.

On Monday, NC SOS Crisis Group, a queer rights group operating in the North Caucasus, told OC Media that Delimkhanov refused to interfere in the investigation, saying that it ‘does not fall within the competence of a State Duma deputy who carries out his activities in strict compliance with the current legislation’.

Delimkhanov serves as a Russian Duma member and is also a close confidante of Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov.

Crisis Group had earlier sent requests to all members of the Russian Duma to look into Suleymanova’s disappearance, with only 49 responding. Out of those, 47 responded by saying that it did not fall under their purview, with 12 deputies redirecting the requests to other agencies and Delimkhanov himself.

‘Most deputies ignored the appeal, although they are obliged to respond to citizens' appeals. Delimkhanov also had the opportunity to follow his colleagues and simply not respond to this appeal’, said Alexandra Miroshnikova, a spokesperson for the rights group, adding that while deputies cannot interfere in ongoing investigations, they can send inquiries as to why investigations were taking too long.

Miroshnikova has suggested that Chechen officials were choosing to keep silent about Suleymanova’s case, hoping that public opinion would soon forget about her.

Suleymanova, a Chechnya native, was believed to have been abducted from her home in St. Petersburg in 2023. Her current whereabouts remain unknown, with many, including NC SOS Crisis Group believing that she may have been the victim of an ‘honour killing’. 

In March 2024, Russia’s Investigative Committee launched an investigation into her disappearance and alleged murder, but has yet to announce further details about the investigation.

Despite refusing to intervene in the investigation, Delimkhanov previously became involved in the case of Liya Zaurbekova, a 19-year-old victim of domestic abuse, who, in early 2024, fled Russia.

Delimkhanov openly sided with Zaurbekova’s family, accusing journalists of stirring the pot and ‘earning on advertising’ by covering her story. He said that he was instructed by Kadyrov to handle the case, and that he had been in touch with the Russian Interior Ministry and Zaurbekova’s family. He also asserted that he reacts and will react with ‘lightning speed’ to such incidents.