Aliya, a 33-year-old Chechen woman, had been in contact with the NC SOS Crisis Group since 2023. She periodically lost contact and only in October 2025 decided to leave Chechnya.

Aliya came from an influential and wealthy family. Her father, Usman Ozdamirov, was close to Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, and served as the head of a district. Aliya had good relations with her parents and did not experience any harm or restrictions from them. However, she faced pressure from her cousins and her brother, who were also connected to Kadyrov’s circle. After her father’s death in 2020, no one remained who could protect her from her brothers.

They were aware of Aliya’s non-heterosexual identity and threatened her. Her business activities also caused conflict. Her brothers beat her after business partners accumulated debts to investors and accused Aliya of stealing the money.

In the fall of 2025, the NC SOS Crisis Group helped Aliya leave for Georgia. In November, she was contacted by a woman introduced as a “lawyer acquaintance,” who claimed that a criminal case had allegedly been opened against Aliya for “financing terrorism,” and that she would no longer be able to leave Georgia. According to this woman, Aliya had to leave the country and move to a safer one.

Aliya was in contact with her uncle in Azerbaijan, Ali Asaev, who confirmed the existence of the criminal case. He promised to help her leave Georgia on November 10–11, saying he had connections at the border.

On November 8, following instructions from NC SOS, Aliya was supposed to attempt to leave Tbilisi independently with a layover in a safe country. In case of failure or detention, a lawyer was prepared to travel to assist her.

Aliya went out of contact for about an hour and a half. When she reappeared, she said that her uncle had been waiting for her at Tbilisi airport. He again spoke about the criminal case and his alleged connections at the border. Asaev promised that Aliya would be on a plane to Dubai the next day, but that she could not leave immediately. Human rights activists warned her that this was most likely a trap and that her life was at risk. Aliya said that she trusted her uncle.

According to NC SOS, on November 9 Aliya crossed the land border from Georgia into Russia. The following day, rumors appeared that she had died. This information was confirmed on November 12, when her funeral took place.Aliya’s friends and acquaintances, as well as the NC SOS team, believe that she became a victim of an “honor killing.”