Leyla Gatagazheva, accused of links to Syrian militants, transferred to SIZO

A court granted a request of investigators to return Leyla Gatagazheva, a resident of Ingushetia, accused of links to Syrian militants, into custody from house arrest.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on December 29, 2023, the Malgobek City Court changed the pre-trial restriction measure for Leyla Gatagazheva from detention to house arrest for two months. An investigator insisted on extending the arrest, saying that if at large, Leyla Gatagazheva could hide from investigation and put pressure on witnesses.

“They changed public prosecutor and investigators. The new prosecutor and investigator secured her arrest, although she did not violate anything and did not leave the house,” said a female relative of the defendant as quoted by the “Fortanga” publication.

Leyla Gatagazheva has been arrested until February 23.

Let us remind you that Leyla Gatagazheva is accused of working for militants of the “Islamic State”* (IS, a terrorist organization, banned in Russia by the court, – note of the “Caucasian Knot”) in Syria. The woman has already served five years in an Iraqi prison on similar charges.

In 2014, Leyla Gatagazheva’ mother with her children left for Syria from Ingushetia. There, Leyla was forcibly married at the age of 13. In 2017, her husband was killed, and she found herself alone at the age of 16 with two children and surrendered to the Iraqi authorities.