Search notices for Karina Iminova and Said-Khamzat Baisarov, suspected of the Yerevan murder of Chechen native Aishat Baimuradova, have appeared on the website of Russia’s Interior Ministry. According to the database, both are wanted under a criminal article, although the specific charge is not indicated.
Iminova is also listed as missing, which may suggest that her relatives or acquaintances filed a separate request to locate her, according to North Caucasus SOS Crisis Group (NC SOS), a human rights group.
It remains unknown when exactly Russian authorities placed the suspects on the wanted list or under which article they are being pursued.
Baisarov was previously implicated in financing terrorism, but the charges were later dropped. According to open sources, he is a nephew of businessperson Ruslan Baisarov, who has been described as being close to Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov.
The two were named in February by Armenia’s Investigative Committee as suspects in Baimuradova’s murder. In response to a request from the BBC’s Russian Service, the agency confirmed that Iminova and Baisarov were considered the main suspects. Armenian investigators said the two acted on the instructions of ‘a person not yet identified’.
In a letter sent to the BBC, the Armenian Investigative Committee clarified that it had appealed to the Russian authorities for assistance in the investigation in December 2025. It also sent a request to Interpol to assist in locating the suspects, using a less formal procedure than an Interpol ‘red notice’. The agency did not explain why this format was chosen or whether further measures were being considered.
Baimuradova’s body was found on 20 October in a rented flat in central Yerevan, five days after she went missing. Friends said she had gone for a walk on the evening of 15 October and did not return.
Human rights activists believe her death was an ‘honour killing’, linked to her attempt to flee an abusive marriage in Chechnya.
Armenian authorities said they believed the cause of death was asphyxiation, though it was not possible to be certain due to the nature of her injuries and the condition of the body.
Investigators reported that ‘small and large foci of haemorrhage’ were found on Baimuradova’s body, which, according to expert opinion, could have resulted from blunt force. In addition, ‘a couple of small superficial skin defects’ were identified on the right side of her face. Authorities stated that these injuries could have been caused by exposure to high temperatures.
Iminova and Baisarov’s names began to circulate in publications by human rights organisations and independent media soon after the murder. According to those reports, Baimuradova had planned to meet Iminova on the day she disappeared. Surveillance cameras also captured Iminova near the entrance to the building where Baimuradova’s body was later found.
Elizaveta Chukharova
