A 20-year-old woman was murdered in a suspected honour killing after fleeing her homeland with her boyfriend. Fatima Kerimova was found dead in a rented apartment in Tbilisi, Georgia, and had allegedly been strangled to death.
Prosecutors have charged her 26-year-old cousin, Emin Aliyev, in absentia with aggravated murder committed on grounds of intolerance toward equal rights of men and women. The charge carries up to life imprisonment.
Background and Events Leading to the Murder
Fatima, from Agjabadi in Azerbaijan, had moved to Georgia with a boyfriend in May, reportedly to marry. He allegedly became abusive, beat her and destroyed her documents before leaving her abandoned.
Investigators said Aliyev, also from Agjabadi, arrived in Tbilisi on 3 June, rented the flat and systematically controlled Fatima for over three weeks. He allegedly restricted her freedom, forbade contact with relatives, limited her movements and decided when she could eat or leave the home.
The Killing and Aftermath
On the evening of 25 June, at about 10pm, he allegedly strangled her to death during an argument in the apartment on Evgenia Maisuradze Street in Tbilisi. Her body was discovered on 26 June.
Investigators believe he carried out a family-ordered honour killing. Her sister, Zuleikha Kerimova, described receiving desperate messages from Fatima, including photos of injuries and threats with a knife. In one message, Fatima begged: 'I want to live.'
Zuleikha has criticised both the Georgian and Azerbaijani authorities for alleged delays and inconsistencies in their investigations.
Legal Proceedings and Extradition
Aliyev fled Georgia after the alleged killing and was detained in Turkey. Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office has offered full legal assistance to their Georgian counterparts and is monitoring the case closely amid public outcry.
Georgian authorities plan to seek his extradition and pre-trial custody, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Human rights groups, including Sapari, are supporting the family and highlighting the case as part of ongoing concerns over honour-based violence. The investigation continues.
