Facebook* users debated responsibility for Baimuradova's funeral.

Ayshat Baimuradova, a native of Chechnya who was murdered in Yerevan, should be given a humane burial, even if her relatives refused to collect her body from the morgue, Facebook* commenters stated. Relatives have the right to ignore requests if the girl has refused them, some users noted.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," 23-year-old Ayshat Baimuradova, a native of Chechnya, was found dead in a rented apartment in Yerevan on October 19. She fled to Armenia to escape domestic violence, but publicly criticized Kadyrov's regime. Human rights activists have not received the final results of the examination of Baimuradova's body. A request was sent to Russia regarding her burial, but no one was willing to take Baimuradova's body home within three months. The girl's partner, who lives in Yerevan, is seeking the right to bury Aishat, but the authorities refuse to hand over the body to him, as by law only the next of kin can dispose of the body. On January 26, human rights activists petitioned the Armenian authorities, calling on them to hand over Aishat's body to her friends.

A post about a petition by human rights activists regarding Aishat Baimuradova's funeral on Caucasian Knot's Facebook* had garnered 349 comments by 2:30 a.m. Moscow time today. A significant number of them raised questions about legal formalities that prevent the funeral from being organized, as well as the moral responsibility of relatives to remove these obstacles.

“The investigation is complete. The perpetrators are beyond the reach of Armenian justice. The authorities have repeatedly appealed to the Chechen relatives to claim the body, but the relatives are not responding to these requests. They are essentially refusing to take it. How can the authorities hand over the body to strangers without the proper legal documentation?” wrote Armen Saakian.

“The person is no longer alive. These legal documents are not needed in the afterlife. She must be buried according to Muslim rites. Let them know that there are people (who) can bury her properly,” wrote Shirin Bekzoda in response.

In another comment, Armen Saakian expressed confidence that Baimuradova “will be buried in any case.” “Most likely at public expense. But if there is some procedure for handing over the body to non-relatives, they will definitely accommodate. In Armenia, they are lenient about this,” he stated.

“It's high time to hand this over to friends who can properly organize and accompany the girl on her final journey. If her family can't do it? Shame on such relatives,” said Ilona Pent. “And what official document defines the concept of 'friend'? And let's remember that this woman's last call was from a friend... The authorities are right,” countered Hayk Karapetyan.

User Mane Manoukian expressed sympathy to Aishat's partner, who is unable to organize her funeral due to formalities. "I feel sorry for the guy, he's still there, he wants to bury her himself. Armenians will help, even with money, they even wrote that according to Muslim customs, this is possible. But they are waiting for relatives," she wrote.

"I feel sorry for her mother," Bella Fargieva noted. "Perhaps the mother has no right to speak. That's what the men of their family decided. Poor girl. None of her family could protect her. They pronounced her sentence and carried it out. Lord, accept her soul," wrote Karina Gasparyan.

Some users claimed that Baimuradova's relatives in Chechnya were absolved of responsibility for the fate of her body after death. "She disowned her family, accusing them of all sorts of sins. She uttered a litany of accusations and nasty things about them. She allegedly fled from their oppression, violence, threats, and humiliation. (...) And now it turns out her relatives are to blame. Guilty of what? And why in the world are they her 'relatives'? She disowned them, cut off all ties," wrote Umalt Nohčo.

"She wanted a free life. I don't condone murder, but for Chechens it's a disgrace. You wouldn't understand; we have our own traditions and customs," added Loreen Lorsanova.

“They demonstrated a shameful disrespect for family and friends, customs, culture, common sense, and their own dignity. (...) What kind of attitude toward them or their bodies can there be today from those they themselves rejected,” Tatu Tatu stated. “Where is it written that those who violated custom do not need to be buried? Any deceased person, even if they greatly upset you, must be buried. It is our responsibility to bury the dead. And then, God knows best,” Leyla Egorova countered.

“The concept of ‘disgracing customs’ or the laws of any country does not and will not work in Armenia. The woman was killed in Armenia and brought no shame on Armenia. Let her be buried simply, like a human being,” Koba Moskov pointed out.

* are listed as foreign agents.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.