Chechen woman dies under suspicious circumstances after forced return from Georgia

Chechen national Alia Ozdamirova, who fled Chechnya due to threats, was reportedly forcibly or deceptively taken from Georgia on November 9 and died under unclear circumstances shortly after her return to Chechnya, according to media reports.

The 33-year-old woman was buried on November 12.

Ozdamirova left Chechnya on October 20, citing threats related to the disclosure of her sexual orientation to certain family members, including her cousins and brother. She initially traveled to Istanbul and then moved to Georgia. Media reports that Ozdamirova also faced threats related to her business activities, with her brothers accusing her of stealing money owed to investors by her business partners.

Ozdamirova denied the accusations, claiming she had never stolen from anyone and said her wealth came from her influential family. She also alleged that her business partners had misappropriated money she had earned.

Ozdamirova came from a prominent and wealthy family. Her father, Usman Ozdamirov, was closely connected to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and served as deputy minister for physical education and sports in Chechnya. SK SOS noted that she had not experienced violence or restrictions from her parents. After her father’s death in 2020, Ozdamirova reportedly became more vulnerable to her brothers, who, along with her cousins, have ties to Kadyrov and his administration.

In November, Ozdamirova was informed that a criminal case might have been initiated against her for alleged financing of terrorism and that she would be unable to leave Georgia. Human rights defenders found no record of any such case in official databases and advised her to leave Georgia for safety. Alia was scheduled to fly to a safe country on November 8. She contacted her uncle in Baku for help crossing the border, but he said assistance would only be possible on November 10 or 11, prompting human rights defenders to warn her of a potential trap if she delayed.

According to media, Ozdamirova crossed the Georgia-Russia border on November 9. Rumors of her death surfaced the following day and were confirmed on November 12 at her funeral. While her family claims the cause of death was natural, friends, acquaintances and human rights defenders believe Ozdamirova may have been a victim of an “honour killing”. It remains unclear whether her forced return and possible murder were related to her sexual orientation or family grievances over her business activities.