Detention of Chechen woman Ismailova fits into trend of criminal prosecution of domestic violence victims

The detention in Moscow of Selima Ismailova, a native of Chechnya, on a complaint about a theft, has continued the trend of involving law enforcers in the persecution of victims of domestic violence by their relatives, human rights defenders have pointed out, adding that prior to escaping victims should seek help from human rights organizations.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 12, policemen detained the 19-year-old Selima Ismailova, who had run away from domestic violence, at a Moscow airport. The girl was detained on suspicion of stealing money from a relative. In the evening of the same day, Chechen law enforcers came for her and took her to Grozny.

According to the "Marem" human rights group, Ismailova's family moved to Germany when she was 12 years old. In 2021, her father took her to Chechnya, where he often beat her up and threatened to kill. "For his daughter's misdeeds, he threatened to break her legs," human rights defenders assert.

Cases when domestic violence victims are accused of crimes in order to detain them are becoming systemic, said Saida Sirazhudinova, the president of the Centre for the Study of Global Contemporary Issues and Regional Problems entitled "Caucasus. World. Development".

Oleg Khabibrakhmanov, a lawyer, has urged victims of domestic violence to think carefully about their plan of escape and turn to human rights defenders not after detention, but before trying to escape.

Alyona Popova, a lawyer and a co-founder of the network of mutual assistance to women "You Are Not Alone", has suggested that there will be more and more such cases as with Leyla Gireeva and Selima Ismailova. She has added that it is becoming increasingly difficult to help victims of domestic violence.

It is easier to help them, when they apply to embassies of European countries, said Aida Mirmaksumova, the head of the "Fathers and Daughters" project, citing her own experience.