Rallies in support of Seda Suleymanova held in Moscow and Saint Petersburg

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On Saturday, rallies were held in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in support of Seda Suleymanova, a native of Chechnya who disappeared after being forcibly returned to her homeland. The rallies coincided with International Women’s Day and were aimed at drawing attention to Suleymanova’s fate and violence against women in the North Caucasus.

In St. Petersburg, the action took place on the Akhmat Kadyrov Bridge where Suleymanova’s friend, Elena Patyaeva, along with other activists, posted around 20 leaflets containing a call for help to save Suleymanova, her photo, and a link to a petition supported by more than 15,000 people calling for Suleymanova’s case to be investigated.

Patyaeva told OC Media that ’this is not a situation where you can just give up.’

‘I can’t say that I have much hope left for a favourable outcome, but I want to find out the truth. And I want those involved in what happened to Seda to not go unpunished. Although many human rights activists are convinced that she was murdered, I retain a little hope. But the more time passes, the less hope there is,’ Patyaeva told OC Media.

In Moscow, activists of the Libertarian Party of Russia held a similar action on Akhmat Kadyrov Street, putting up leaflets with information about Suleymanova. They also created a website where they posted appeals to State Duma members asking them to assist in the investigation of Suleymanova’s case. The activists claimed that their actions were aimed at drawing attention to the problem of violence against women and the inaction of the authorities in such cases.

Suleymanova reportedly ran away from her family in 2022 due to her unwillingness to enter a loveless marriage, after which she settled in Saint. Petersburg. In August 2023, she was returned to Chechnya against her will with the involvement of law enforcement officials. There has been no information about her whereabouts since, and human rights activists fear she may have been the victim of an ‘honour killing’.

‘Honour killings’ are a practice in which family members commit violence against a relative whose behaviour they believe has brought shame to the family. Such cases are not uncommon in the North Caucasus. Women can become victims of violence or even murder for refusing an imposed marriage, violating traditional norms of behaviour, or seeking an independent life.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into Suleymanova’s murder, but has not published any results over the last year.

Elizaveta Chukharova •

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Liza was born and raised in Vladikavkaz and now lives in Prague. She has previously worked for RFE/RL, ASTRA, Belsat, and others. She is currently completing her Master's degree in Russian Studies at Charles University in Prague, specialising in the study of military and inter-ethnic conflicts in the North Caucasus. In her free time, Liza shoots feature films, writes about cinema, and travels — she has visited exactly 50 countries and is not going to stop there.