Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
In a village in the Simferopol region, security forces detained 20-year-old Crimean Tatar Lutfiye Velieva after a search.
Lawyer Edem Semedlyaev said that the day before, employees of Center “E” carried out an inspection at the Veliyevs’ house.
“The inspection was carried out as part of an investigation - Velieva allegedly discredited the Russian armed forces on the Vkontakte social network. I have no information about the initiation of an administrative or criminal case, but the situation with the growing persecution of women in Crimea is alarming,” Semedlyaev noted.
In August, security forces conducted a search and detained 25-year-old Crimean Tatar Emine Zekeryaeva from the city of Stary Krym. She was taken to Simferopol for interrogation and tried to gain access to her phone. Emine was later released.