Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov, who disappeared in December, has made contact and is reported to be alive and cheerful.
Tumso Abdurakhmanov, a Chechen opposition blogger critical of Ramzan Kadyrov, got in touch with human rights activists, after reports of his disappearance and murder in December 2022, according to media and Telegram channels.
Novaya Gazeta Europe reports that Chechen human rights association VAYFOND, operating in Sweden, has stated that Tumso Abdurakhmanov made contact.
Representatives of the organization do not know where the activist currently is and have no information about the circumstances of his disappearance. A spokesperson for the association, speaking anonymously for security reasons, mentioned that Abdurakhmanov called human rights activists to clarify legal points and gave permission to announce that he is alive.
It is assumed that he cannot comment on things at the moment due to secrecy, but is alive and cheerful. The source mentioned that he will likely get in touch with everyone soon.
The disappearance of Abdurakhmanov came to light at the end of 2022 when he stopped communicating with human rights activists and journalists. On December 3, the telegram channel “Ichkeria: Heroes, Enemies and Traitors” posted a message about his murder, but noted that the sources were “unofficial and of a low level of trust.”
Later, a video was posted on the pro-Russian channel Kavkaz Front, showing a Chechen man allegedly hospitalized with bullet wounds. On the night of December 3, the Russian military telegram channel Rybar reported, without citing sources, that “apparently, the activist was indeed killed.”
Vayfond stated that they had no information about Abdurakhmanov's death but mentioned that Mohmad Abdurakhmanov, the blogger’s brother and representative of the organization, was no longer reachable without any explanation.
The press secretary of the European Chechen Assembly Shamil Albakov suggested that the murder could have been of a man who lived near the activist, as no information about the murder of Abdurakhmanov was available in reports from law enforcement agencies in Sweden and local media at that time.
On December 5, the Chechen opposition Telegram channel 1ADAT*, citing a “network of informers from Europe and Chechnya” and Radio Liberty**, wrote that the blogger was allegedly shot in Sweden by a group of people on the night of December 1-2. On the same day, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the local police had not confirmed the information about the murder or disappearance of Abdurakhmanov.
Four days later, Kavkaz.Realii** published a statement from the press service of the so-called government of the self-proclaimed “Chechen Republic of Ichkeria” abroad, stating that the activist was alive and under the protection of the Swedish police. However, the reasons for the alleged protection by the Swedish police were not disclosed.
Tumso Abdurakhmanov is known for criticizing the Chechen authorities, he is a supporter of independent Ichkeria. In his YouTube videos, he talked about human rights violations and abuses by officials in Chechnya. In 2015 he left Russia. He claimed that this was due to a conflict with Ramzan Kadyrov’s nephew Islam. In 2021, Abdurakhmanov received political asylum in Sweden.
In December 2021, Abdurakhmanov reported that Chechen security forces had kidnapped several members of his family. Kadyrov said that these were rumors spread by European bloggers “supporting terrorism.”
* the Adat movement is recognized in Russia as an “extremist organization”, its activities are not banned
** the publication is included by the Ministry of Justice of Russia in the register of foreign agents
