23:05, 11 July 2024

Novosibirsk activist speaks out in defence of victims of domestic violence in Northern Caucasus

Elena Tardasova-Yun at a picket. Novosibirsk, June 29, 2024. Screenshot of a video by Elena Tardasova-Yun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLa1pXtPNlg

Elena Tardasova-Yun, an activist from Novosibirsk, became the second woman in Russia, who held a solo picket with the demand to investigate the disappearance of Seda Suleimanova in Chechnya. The situation with domestic violence in Northern Caucasus requires a separate law to protect women, Elena Tardasova-Yun has noted during her picket.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in April, it became known that the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) was investigating the disappearance of Seda Suleimanova under the article on murder. On April 26, an investigator in Chechnya questioned Seda Suleimanova’s friend Lena Patyaeva, who held solo pickets in Saint Petersburg in February and March with the demand to investigate the fate of Seda Suleimanova. In June, Lena Patyaeva reported that three months after the institution of the criminal case, investigators had not come to any conclusions.

Seda Suleimanova, a native of Chechnya, was detained in Saint Petersburg and taken to Chechnya in August 2023. After that, there were no messages from her. Friends and human rights defenders fear that Seda Suleimanova fell victim to a so-called “honour killing.”

Elena Tardasova-Yun held two solo pickets in support of Seda Suleimanova. These are the first solo pickets in Russia in defence of Seda Suleimanova outside Saint Petersburg, the “SK SOS Crisis Group”* reported in its Telegram channel.

“It’s not just Seda Suleimanova’s story that touches me. We in Novosibirsk go out every protest Saturday for the freedom of political prisoners, women, and other important issues ... I follow various cases in Northern Caucasus, learn about them in social networks and the media,” Elena Tardasova-Yun explained.

“I didn’t expect that anyone in Russia would dare to hold a picket for Seda. Of course, I really want to hope that the Elena’s picket will inspire someone else,” Lena Patyaeva stated.

At the picket, the activist recalled the case of Marem Alieva. The woman from Ingushetia was subjected to domestic violence and disappeared in September 2015. After Marem Alieva’s disappearance, a criminal case on murder was instituted.

In June 2022, Elena Tardasova-Yun was detained in a criminal case on distributing fakes about the Russian Armed Forces, and she signed a recognizance not to leave the place of her residence, the “OVD-Info”* human rights project reported.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 10, 2024 at 09:36 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot