Critic of Ramzan Kadyrov reportedly killed in Sweden
Tumso Abdurakhmanov, a Chechen dissident known for his vocal criticism of Chechnya’s strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov, has reportedly been killed.
According to the Chechen opposition movement 1ADAT, the dissident blogger must have been killed shortly after disappearing in Sweden.
“Tumso was shot at night by a group of people,” 1ADAT said in a social media post on Monday, citing unidentified sources.
1ADAT also claimed that Abdurakhmanov’s brother Muhammed had been “hidden away by the intelligence services”.
Anzor Maskhadov, a prominent figure among Chechnya’s European diaspora, confirmed Abdurakhmanov’s death. The news was later reported by Radio Svobodaan affiliate of the American media Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Abdurakhmanov, 36, had previously survived one attempted murder in Sweden two years ago when he was attacked in his home by an assailant with a hammer. A Swedish court sentenced the suspects to ten and eight years in prison, respectively.
The dissident had been living in exile since 2015, when he fled Chechnya due to threats to his life. He was denied asylum in Poland and has since been hiding in Sweden.
Swedish police have not yet confirmed the reports surrounding Abdurakhmanov’s death.
Since coming to power in 2007, Kadyrov has ruled the semi-autonomous republic of Chechnya as his personal fiefdom. He is routinely accused of orchestrating human rights abuses including murder, abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings and purges targeting the local LGBTQ+ community.
Despite his outrageous human rights record, Kadyrov remains an influential figure in the world of mixed martial arts. He founded his own MMA organization and gym – all of which were subject to sanctions by the US Treasury Department – and has rubbed shoulders with some of the most well-known figures in the sport, including former UFC champions Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, Henry Cejudo, Frank Mir, Chris Weidman, Fabricio Werdum, Frankie Edgar, Kamaru Usman and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Kadyrov also has a long-term relationship with UFC star Khamzat Chimaev, a Chechen native who currently resides in Sweden.