Chechen native speaks about her escape from Russia after expulsion of genies

Chechen native Sara Bibulatova managed to leave for abroad several days before a law enforcers’ visit to the shelter where she was staying. The native of Chechnya ran away from home because of family violence, a ban on studies, and the expulsion of jinn, reported the “SK SOS Crisis Group”*.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the girls from Chechnya and Dagestan, who told their stories in the BBC film “When I Escaped”, had to decide to run away from their families because of domestic violence, coercion to marriage, and death threats. For victims of domestic violence, escape is often the only option to save their life.

Sara Bibulatova, who lived her entire life in Baku, managed to leave Russia after her relatives sent her to Dagestan for treatment: the expulsion of the genies.

According to Sara, it was assumed by her family that immediately after studying the girl would be married off. The family could not marry her because she did not know how to cook, and quarrels arose over that situation.

Sara Bibulatova reported that for four years after finishing school she stayed at home, barely leaving her room. The father did not let her appear on the street unaccompanied.

In 2022, Sara complained to the UN office about her situation. She was taken to a shelter. The Chechen native lived there for several months, but later, under the influence of a psychologist who was bribed by her parents, she agreed to return to the family.

The girl confided in her parents, but they took her to a sister in Dagestan, asking her to wear a hijab. There they began to take her to an Islamic centre and treat her with expulsion of genies. An imam beat her on the body with a stick, and if Sara tried to refuse the procedures, he threatened her with a stun gun.

Her parents believed that those procedures would cure Sara of wrong life guidelines, said the girl.

According to Sara, she pretended to be recovering, contacted the “SK SOS Crisis Group”* and managed to convince her mother to go to Saratov, where the human rights defenders helped arrange her escape.

After her escape, Sara lived in a shelter, a crisis apartment, and became friends with other clients, including Seda Suleimanova. “The country that accepted me is wonderful. Everything turned out great for me. I’m very happy about that,” says the girl.

Sara noted that the biggest shock for her was not the adaptation to the new place, but the news that law enforcers had taken Seda Suleimanova to Chechnya.

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