The humiliation of Salman Tepsurkaev: Another level of depravity in the crackdown on Kadyrov's critics

Trouble with the Truth

On the 7th of September, a shocking video started circulating across Chechen social media. In the video, a young man called Salman Tepsurkaev denounces his work for Adat telegram channel and is forced to rape himself with a bottle. Adat is one of the few outlets that writes about human rights abuses in Chechnya and corruption amongst the elites. In Chechen, Adat means an unwritten set of laws and rules, a fitting name for the outlet. These channels are being constantly hunted by the authorities. Salman is their first victim.
For this podcast, Lana spoke to several journalists working in the region and incorporated their responses into the podcast without revealing their identities. Criticism of the regime is not tolerated in Ramzan Kadyrov’s Chechnya – it is dangerous for foreign and Russian journalists and is deadly for the locals. The republic is a very challenging place for reporting because the lives of the sources are under threat too if they speak out. Social platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp and telegram provide a space for ordinary Chechens to express their anger with the regime anonymously and it is where journalists can find all the information they need.
However, as Salman’s case shows, you can still be identified and caught. In the podcast, Lana also talks about murders and attempted murders of Chechen bloggers critical of Kadyrov’s regime who live abroad – it is a terrifying trend that proves that nowhere is safe anymore.