Volunteers report collection of signatures for investigation into Suleimanova’s kidnapping

The Seda Suleimanova’s support group has begun collecting signatures for an appeal demanding a fair investigation into her case. Almost 1300 electronic signatures were collected during the first day of the campaign. The appeal is planned to be submitted to the Russian presidential administration.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on January 31, a court sentenced Elena Patyaeva, a Seda Suleimanova’s friend, to 20 hours of community service, considering her solo picket held in Saint Petersburg a public action not coordinated with the authorities.

“Seda Suleimanova was kidnapped from her home in Saint Petersburg. She was 26 years old. Seda was going to marry the man she loved ... She had her whole life ahead of her. But everything was taken away from her, only because the path she chose did not meet someone’s expectations,” Seda Suleimanova’s friend Elena Patyaeva states in her appeal.

“To sign the appeal to the Russian presidential administration means a legal and safe way to help me achieve justice for my friend, as well as an opportunity to put public pressure on the authorities on issues of illegal kidnappings, ‘honour killings,’ and systemic human rights violations in Chechnya ... If you have such an opportunity, please sign the appeal on paper. This is very important, since signatures on paper are always much more significant than electronic signatures,” Elena Patyaeva emphasizes in her appeal, published in the “Where is Seda?” group on social media.