On 5 September, 19-year-old Salman Tepsurkaev was abducted from Krasnodar region in southern Russia. He had moderated 1ADAT, a popular Telegram channel critical of the Chechen authorities. Reports indicate that he was taken to Chechnya and may be held in secret incommunicado detention by law enforcement officials in the Chechen capital Grozny. While Salman Tepsurkaev’s whereabouts remain unknown, a video has appeared on social media where he is seen being sexually violated, “in punishment” for cooperating with 1ADAT.
