Lena Patyaeva, a friend of missing Chechen native Seda Suleimanova, was charged with an administrative offense after a solo picket in Grozny. She held the protest on August 23, the third anniversary of Suleimanova's disappearance. Under the charges against her, Patyaeva faces up to 30 days in jail or a fine of up to 300,000 rubles.

The picket took place in Journalists' Square. Patyaeva demanded an investigation into her friend's disappearance. During the protest, she was detained and held at the police station for approximately three hours.

Patyaeva's lawyer, Natalya Tikhonova, believes the charge is illegal. She maintains that a solo picket does not require approval from the authorities.

"Lena is accused of holding a picket in Journalists' Square in Grozny, where she attended in full compliance with the law: it doesn't require approval for solo pickets. (...) However, of course, they still picked her up, took her to the police station, and drew up a report," Tikhonova said.

Before the protest, Patyaeva wrote that she would continue to publicly remind people of Suleimanova and push for an investigation into her disappearance.

"Today, my goal is to irritate those who want to forget Seda, to erase her from history, as if she never existed," she stated.

Patyaeva also wrote that she believes the case will be investigated and those responsible will be punished.

Seda Suleimanova disappeared in August 2023 after security forces forcibly took her from St. Petersburg to Chechnya and handed her over to relatives. She had previously left the republic, fearing, according to the human rights organization SK SOS, a forced marriage. The girl's friends and human rights activists have since been seeking an investigation into the circumstances of her disappearance.

The date of the hearing is still unknown. According to her lawyer, the court may hear the case on August 24.