Zelim Bakaev | |
|---|---|
| Зелим Бакаев | |
 | |
| Born | (1992-04-23)23 April 1992 |
| Disappeared | 8 August 2017(2017-08-08) (aged 25) Grozny,Chechen Republic,Russian Federation |
| Status | Missing for 8 years, 6 months and 8 days |
| Citizenship | Russian |
| Occupation | Singer |
Zelimkhan Khoussainovich Bakaev (Russian:Зелимхан Хусаинович Бакаев; born 23 April 1992) was aChechen singer. He disappeared inChechnya on 8 August 2017, while on a brief visit to the region to attend his sister's wedding. He is widely believed to have been abducted, tortured, and murdered by the Chechen authorities as part of theirsystematic persecution of homosexual men.[1][2][3]
Zelim Bakaev (sometimes Bakayev) was born to Khoussain and Malika Bakaev inGrozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic. Passionate about music, he began singing at a young age in Chechnya. He worked for a year and a half at the Department of Culture of the Grozny Mayor's Office, and became one of the soloists of the song and dance ensemble "Stolitsa" (in Russian, Столица) and performed concerts in Chechnya and other North Caucasian republics. His repertoire included songs in theChechen language and inRussian. He became popular particularly in Chechnya,Ingushetia,Dagestan and eventually inRussia.[4] In 2013, he took part in the annual Vainakh Awards for upcoming artists.[5] His big break came with singles like "Мичахь хьо лела безам" (meaning “Where are you going, dear”), "Доьхна Дог" (“Breaking the Heart”), and "Нана" ("Mother" in English) as well as in collaboration with Elbika Jamaldinova, with hits "Не хватает тебя" (Miss You) and "Без тебя" (Without You). He also cooperated with the producer Gilany Stadnik and was managed by Leila Vakhayeva. In 2017, Bakaev applied for casting in the Russian version ofStar Academy calledFabrika Zvyozd in its 10th season. The series was to start in September 2017 on the Russian television chainMuz-TV.[4][6]
On 6 August 2017, Bakaev travelled to Grozny to attend his sister's wedding. He was due back in Moscow a few days later as he was scheduled to take part in a Russian musical contest on 10 August. On 8 August, he was reportedly arrested by Special Rapid Deployment (SOBR) security forces, this according to two eyewitnesses as they recounted toTV Rain.[4][7] Bakaev's cellular phone was also deactivated the same day. Speculations ran that his arrest was for suspicion of being gay.[1] Chechen authorities had declared an anti-LGBT campaign with many reports of persecution of homosexuals in the republic.[8] Bakaev had been previously forbidden from any public appearances in Chechnya.[9]
Bakaev's mother Malika and his aunt received a message that Bakaev had "left" Chechnya. On 18 August, Malika filed a complaint for her son's disappearance with the Grozny police and on 22 August appealed to the Human Rights Council demanding clarifications from them and the Chechen Interior ministry. The Chechen minister of Foreign Affairs and Information denied any involvement by the Chechen authorities in the affair. The Chechen police claimed that Bakaev had purchased a ticket for a train fromNalchik toMoscow with the departure on 11 August.
On 14 September, the American human rights organisationHuman Rights First urged theUS State Department to intervene with the Russian authorities about Zelim Bakaev.[10]
On 16 September, the singer's mother publicly appealed to Chechen presidentRamzan Kadyrov asking about her son, but on 18 September, theChechen Ministry of Internal Affairs refused to open a criminal investigation into the disappearance of Bakaev.
Dzhambulat Umarov, Chechnya'sminister for national policy, external relations, press, and information, was quoted inRBC as saying, "The guy is not aWahhabi, not a terrorist, he isn’t involved in any cases. No structures took him, for a hundred years no-one will need him", adding that Bakaev would "reappear soon".[11]
On 24 September 2017, a suspicious video appeared allegedly taken in Germany with a look-alike claiming to be Bakaev saying he was now in Germany. The video was first uploaded to a makeshiftYouTube account and then broadcast on Grozny TV shortly thereafter. Friends and family of the singer have questioned the legitimacy of the video due to the appearance of Russian furniture and equipment appearing in the footage as well as beverages and alcoholic brands not marketed in Germany. A high-ranking diplomat from the EU mission in Russia also confirmed that Bakaev did not cross the border of any of theSchengen countries in August 2017 or later.
In October 2017, international press outlets,[12][13] and primarily the LGBT media, accuse the Chechen police of murdering Zelim by torture as part of theanti-gay purges in Chechnya.[1][2][3]
