Ingush native Leyla Gireeva remains in danger due to persecution from her relatives

After her release from the police, Leyla Gireeva stays in a safe place, but she is still in danger due to threats from her relatives, reports Miron Rozanov, the spokesperson for the “NC (Northern Caucasus) SOS Crisis Group”. Leyla Gireeva was subjected to domestic violence and the expulsion of genies, which prompted her to run away from home, says journalist Svetlana Anokhina.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on November 23, Leyla Gireeva, a native of Ingushetia, who fled domestic violence but was found by her relatives in Saint Petersburg, was detained by the police. Activist Vladislav Khorev, who helped the young woman, was also detained. Leyla Gireeva filed to the police a complaint about the threat of murder coming from her relatives. Later, the police released Leyla Gireeva and Vladislav Khorev.

“Leyla stays in a safer place. But she is still in mortal danger, because her relatives are looking for her in order to forcibly return her home,” Miron Rozanov said.

Leyla Gireeva is another victim of domestic violence in Northern Caucasus, human rights defender Svetlana Anokhina emphasizes.

“The usual Caucasian family violence, the search for genies who allegedly sit in the girl, her psychologically unstable state, as she says, she was fed with drugs. And as a result, on November 14, she packed up and fled,” Svetlana Anokhina reported.

Earlier, Svetlana Anokhina has said that the expulsion of genies is a frequent procedure in Northern Caucasus. Patimat Idrisova, a native of Dagestan, ran away from home because of threats from her relatives and forced treatment. According to Svetlana Anokhina, the need for treatment arose due to the prejudices of Patimat Idrisova’s relatives, who attributed any deviation from generally accepted norms to “problems because of genies.”