ISIS Lover Sends Russian Girl to Prison

The mother of a Russian student who was arrested last week on suspicion of attempting to join the Islamic State group (ISIS) says her daughter is psychologically dependent on the man who tried to recruit her. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian security forces recently detained 19-year-old Varvara Karalova on suspicion of trying to recruit others for the Islamic State. She will remain in a special detention center of the Federal Security Service of Russia until late December. Russian media reports indicate that the young girl continued her relationship with the person who recruited her after returning from a trip to Turkey in June. Varvara's arrest on October 28 has shocked public opinion in Russia. Despite her attempts to join the Islamic State over the summer, Russian security officials announced in July that they had not charged her and she was released shortly thereafter. Details regarding the charges or suspicions against this young girl remain unclear. However, more information about her case has emerged since October 30. The Interfax news agency quoted Kira Karalova, the girl's mother, as saying, "Her main problem is that she has become completely dependent on this virtual lover, the person who attracted her to these ideas, and she cannot break this psychological dependency. I think she is not aware of her behavior at all right now." The TASS news agency quoted a source familiar with the case stating that Varvara continued her relationship with this individual and even claimed to be in love with him. According to this source, Varvara said, "I couldn't stop myself and continued my online communication with him." Apparently, she told investigators that it was not political or religious reasons, but love that led her to maintain contact with this individual. This source added that Varvara cooperated with the investigation and provided details of all evidence to them. Reports published on October 27, a day before Varvara's arrest, claimed that the person who had tried to recruit her had been detained. However, details regarding the arrested individuals are even more ambiguous than the suspicions against this young girl. Varvara's defense attorney stated that he had heard that three people had been arrested in Chechnya on charges of attempting to recruit individuals for the Islamic State. Russian media widely covered this news and speculated about it. However, Chechen authorities denied any arrests in connection with Varvara Karalova's case. The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Chechen local government stated that Chechen law enforcement or local units of the Federal Security Service of Russia have no information about these arrests and added, "But the question arises as to what sources told Karalova's lawyer to raise the issue of arrests in Chechnya?" Concurrently with unconfirmed reports about the arrests of these individuals in Chechnya, Russian media reported that police had searched the home of a 33-year-old man in a Tatar village in Penza Oblast. An official stated on October 28 that this individual is suspected of recruiting Russian citizens, possibly including Varvara Karalova, to join the Islamic State. According to Russian media reports, this man went to Turkey in March but may currently be in Russia. Varvara Karalova left Russia on May 27 and was later detained along with 12 other Russian citizens on charges of attempting to cross the border to go to Syria.