Chechen Woman Found Strangled to Death in Yerevan in Suspected Honor Killing

A 23-year-old woman from Chechnya, Russia, who had fled to Armenia seeking safety from her family, has been found dead in Yerevan in what appears to be an “honor killing.” Armenian police confirmed the discovery on Monday, saying the body of Aishat Baymuradova was found in her apartment in the Armenian capital.

Baymuradova had reportedly escaped from Chechnya to Armenia with the help of human rights activists after facing harassment and threats from her relatives. Her friends said she went missing on October 15 after she stopped responding to messages. They contacted police several days later, fearing something had happened to her.

Police sources told local media that Baymuradova was found dead on Sunday night in a residential building. According to ⁦Shamshyan.com⁩, investigators are treating the case as a murder. Novaya Gazeta Europa cited human rights activists who said she was strangled in the early hours of October 16. CCTV footage allegedly shows two unidentified suspects connected to the case, who are believed to have fled to Russia.

This is believed to be the first known case of a suspected honor killing to take place in Armenia.

Honor killings are a form of violence where relatives kill a family member, most often a woman, for behavior they claim brings “shame” on the family. These acts remain common in parts of the North Caucasus, including Chechnya and Ingushetia, particularly within conservative Muslim communities. Women are often targeted for refusing forced marriages, forming same-sex relationships, or behaving in ways their families consider “immodest.”

Many victims flee their homes to escape family control. However, their families frequently pursue them across Russia or even abroad, sometimes using connections within law enforcement to locate and retrieve them. In many cases, the women are later killed after being brought back home.

Before her disappearance, Baymuradova reportedly met with a friend who had social media links to individuals close to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, according to Caucasian Knot. Some activists fear that she may have been tracked down and killed by people acting on behalf of her family.

Human rights defenders working in the region say such cases are not isolated. They frequently assist women and LGBTQ+ people fleeing family abuse and religious persecution in the North Caucasus, helping them resettle in safer countries such as Georgia and Armenia.

In November 2023, another woman from Ingushetia, Fatima Zurabova, who was seeking asylum in Armenia after suffering domestic abuse, was reportedly placed in temporary police custody after being reported missing by her uncle. Rights groups claimed her relatives were allowed to meet her at the police station.

In July 2025, activists in Georgia reported that the family of Laura Avtotrkhanova, a Chechen woman under state protection after escaping domestic abuse, tried and failed to abduct her.

The investigation into Baymuradova’s death is ongoing, with Armenian police yet to provide further details. Her case has sparked widespread concern among rights groups, who say it shows the growing dangers faced by women fleeing honor-based violence even outside their home regions.

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