It took just over a day to raise half the money for a fugitive from Dagestan.
Human rights activists managed to raise more than half the amount needed to help a Dagestani woman who fled domestic violence within two days.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on the afternoon of February 26, the "Crisis Group SK SOS" organization (included in the register of foreign agents) and the human rights group "Marem" announced a fundraiser for a Dagestani woman who was forced to change jobs and move out of her rented apartment due to safety concerns. The woman needs the money for a new phone and SIM card, temporary housing, and basic expenses (food and hygiene products) for two months, during which she and human rights activists will decide what to do next.
The human rights activists did not provide the woman's real name, referring to her by the pseudonym "Leila." According to them, she was the one who informed Armenian security forces that an attempt had been made to kidnap her friend from Chechnya in the hallway of a shopping center. Leyla, like the girl from Chechnya, had fled domestic violence, and during the kidnapping attempt, her friend's father used Leyla's real name and stated that if she intervened, she would be in serious trouble, as her family was also looking for her. Nevertheless, Leyla contacted the police and human rights activists.
One of the two fundraisers for the girl has closed on the second day
The Marem group announced the closure of Leyla's fundraiser on the evening of February 27th on their Telegram channel. "We are closing the fundraiser for Leyla! Together with you, we have raised 73,072 rubles – and that's even more than needed! Thanks to you, Leyla will soon receive everything she needs to live a safe life in the next two months!" – the post states.
Announcing a fundraiser on February 26, the Marem group explained that the goal was 70,000 rubles, and that this was half of the required amount.
"We need 25,000 rubles for a new phone, 80,000 rubles for rent, and another 35,000 for groceries, hygiene products, and medications. This is a large sum – a whopping 140,000 rubles. Therefore, our goal is to raise half the amount, and our colleagues from SK SOS will raise the rest (we really hope so!)," the post states. As of 1:25 PM Moscow time on February 28, no comments had been posted under Marem's posts.
"Crisis Group SK SOS" has not yet reported on its Telegram channel on the progress of raising the remaining half of the required amount. According to the organization's fundraising page, €49.38 of the €150 phone bill, €90.32 of the €450 rent bill, and €10 of the €150 "other expenses" have been collected.
Aishat Baimuradova's death has convinced security forces to take threats against fugitives from the North Caucasus Federal District seriously.
As a reminder, on February 10, the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that a foreign citizen called the police on the evening of February 7 and reported that her friend's father had arrived from abroad, threatened to kill his daughter, and had now kidnapped her. Security forces located the Chechen native and her father, who confirmed the death threats. The man, a Russian citizen of Chechen descent, was deported and banned from entering Armenia.
Armenian police emphasized in their statement that they responded promptly to the appeal because of a previous "similar tragic incident in which the police were not informed of the persecution."
Earlier, on October 19, 2025, 23-year-old Ayshat Baimuradova, a native of Chechnya, was found dead in a rented apartment in Yerevan. She told human rights activists that she fled "from beatings." According to the girl, she was forced to leave her home due to violence at the hands of her husband, and she could not return to her parents' home because she feared facing violence at the hands of her father. After leaving Russia, she came to Armenia.
Following the incident with Aishat Baimuradova, Armenian law enforcement agencies drew the appropriate conclusions and began to respond promptly to calls or reports of threats, Artur Sakunts, head of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, confirmed to the "Caucasian Knot."
Karina Iminova, whom Aishat had met before her death, and 30-year-old Chechen native Said-Khamzat Baisarov were seen near the house where Baimuradova's body was found. According to human rights activists, Karina Iminova lied to acquaintances about her past and purposefully met people who had left Chechnya. Although she is not originally from Chechnya, she had visited the republic. Iminova and Baysarov left Armenia for Russia immediately after Baimuradova's murder.
In February, the Investigative Committee of Armenia officially named for the first time the suspects in Aishat Baimuradova's murder. The agency confirmed that they were Karina Iminova and Said-Khamzat Baysarov, already named by human rights activists. A request for assistance with their case was sent to Interpol, but Russia ignored the request.
Female refugees from the North Caucasus find themselves in a vulnerable position in a foreign land due to intense nostalgia, which forces them to seek contact with people from the North Caucasus Federal District and creates the risk of exposing their asylum, human rights activists indicated in November 2025.
The problem of domestic violence in Dagestan, Ingushetia, and Chechnya affects women of all ages, but it is primarily young women under 30 who seek to escape, human rights activists from the Ad Rem team noted in their report. The problem of evacuating victims of domestic violence is most acute in these regions, as authorities and security forces there side with domestic abusers. In June 2023, the BBC released a documentary, "When I Escaped," about young women from the North Caucasus who managed to escape the control of their families. For victims of domestic violence, escape often becomes the only chance to save their lives, human rights activists emphasized.