Pop Singer Is Still Missing Amid Chechnya’s ‘Gay Purge’

Human rights activists are demanding answers on the three-year anniversary of the disappearance of Zelimkhan Bakaev, a high-profile pop singer from the Russian region of Chechnya.

In April 2017, the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta alleged that Chechen officials were arresting and violently torturing men they believed to be gay in what was described as a “gay purge”.

“There is little doubt he was targeted because of his sexual orientation,” the group said. Chechen singer Zelimkhan Bakaev was last seen on August 8 in the Chechen capital of Grozny, and Human Rights Watch said his family had been unable to get answers from authorities about what happened to him.

Chechen authorities have repeatedly denied the violent campaign against the country’s LGBT community, but last month a 30-year-old Russian man became the first to publicly identify himself as a victim.

Maxim Lapunov said he was living and working in the Chechen capital of Grozny when he was jailed and tortured by police in March.

Human Rights Watch’s Tanya Lokshina said at the time Lapunov was “incredibly brave and courageous” and other victims hadn’t come forward because of the risk of violent retribution from their families.

The Russian LGBT Network said last month the persecution of the region’s gay people was continuing despite global outcry.“Russian authorities at different levels made numerous statements about the fact that not a single victim filed an official complaint and that made it easy for officials to dismiss the [reports] as rumours,” she said.

They said since March this year more than 150 people had contacted them for assistance, 79 had fled Chechnya and 53 people had found safety outside of Russia.

Reports have emerged claiming that pop singer Zelimkhan Bakaev has become the latest victim of Chechnya’s anti-gay purge. The singer, aged 25, reportedly went missing in August 2017, and hasn't been heard from since by his family and friends. After fears began to grow for his safety, LGBT human rights groups previously thought that Bakaev had been detained. However, sources now believe the Russian singer was brutally tortured to death by authorities shortly after his arrival into the country because of his sexuality.

Chechnya's Islamic, anti-gay leader has denied involvement in the disappearance of Russian pop singer Zelimkhan Bakaev. 

The singer was feared to be a victim of Chechnya's anti-gay purge after he went missing in August 2017 while visiting the country for his sister's wedding.

While Chechen officials kept quiet about the disappearance, Ramzan Kadyrov has now claimed that the singer was 'dealt with' by family members.  

In a speech to an audience of uniformed security men that aired on state television channel Grozny TV, President Kadyrov denied involvement and claimed the singer's parents were blaming him for the disappearance.