Relatives of Russian women tell about their departure to the IS

Young women from the republics of Northern Caucasus and other regions of the Russian Federation left for the warfare areas in Syria and Iraq unexpectedly for their relatives. Russian authorities should return them to their homeland, even if at home they may face criminal prosecution, their parents assert.

On December 14, Moscow hosted the forum "Russia is not abandoning its people! Experience of rescuing women and children from Middle East", organized by the Chechen NGO "Objective".

The forum was addressed by Zalina Gabibulaeva, a native of Dagestan, who was rescued from Iraq. According to her story, at home, the court sentenced her to 6 years in prison with a delay until her children reach the majority age.

Now, Zalina lives in Chechnya and conducts "trainings on countering the recruitment of young people into terrorist organizations." She stated that she had moved to the neighbouring republic trying to escape pressure by law enforcers in Dagestan.

Zhanet Redjebova, a Chechen woman, said that her daughter, an English teacher, ended up in Syria with her husband and children, and then in Iraq. Their fate is unknown to her.

Irina Petrova from Bashkiria also said that her daughter with her son-in-law happened to be in Syria. "We are secular people. It was a shock that they left for Syria," the woman has noted.

Murat from Nalchik is searching for the children of his deceased brother. "My nephew died in April 2017. There is information that the others also died, but we hope that this is not the case," he said.

Madina from Dagestan is searching for her daughter Rashida, whose tracks got lost in Iraq.

Also, Zeinab from Makhachkala said that her daughter-in-law and her grandsons are still in Deir-ez-Zor. According to her story, her son was killed in a special operation in 2013; and two years later, the daughter-in-law went to Syria with her children. "They have hunger there; they're eating grass," said Zeinab.

Parents of the young people who had left for the "Islamic State" (IS, a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court), have asked Russian authorities not to abandon their citizens, noting that "everyone has the right to make a mistake and get forgiveness."