Russian authorities add Chechen woman feared victim of ‘honor killing’ to missing persons database

The Russian Interior Ministry has listed Chechen woman Seda Suleymanova as a missing person, according to an entry found by Mediazona in the ministry’s “Wanted” database.

Suleymanova fled her family in 2022 to avoid a forced marriage and began living in St. Petersburg with her fiance. In August 2023, police detained her after her family accused her of stealing her mother’s jewelry.

She was ultimately sent back to Chechnya against her will and handed over to her relatives. The last known sighting of her was in a video released in August 2023 by Chechnya’s human rights commissioner.

In March 2024, following a public campaign demanding information about her fate, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a murder investigation. Since then, there have been no updates. Suleymanova’s friends and human rights advocates continue to call for a proper investigation. Her whereabouts—and whether she is still alive—remain unknown.