The abduction of Salman Tepsurkaev in Krasnodar Krai in the Russian Federation on September 5 is a serious human rights violation that cannot go unpunished. I call on the Russian authorities to take immediate action to ensure his safety.
Mr Tepsurkaev (19) is a chat moderator on 1ADAT, a news channel on Telegram that has been highlighting human rights violations and criticising the Chechen authorities. His abduction and continued unacknowledged detention in law enforcement premises in Grozny, where he has been subjected to sexual violence and torture, are a further illustration of the tendency to crack down on critical voices that has been prevalent in Chechnya for decades now.
Such serious human rights violations are unacceptable. I call on the authorities of the Russian Federation to uphold their human rights obligation by conducting a prompt and effective investigation into this abhorrent crime and ensuring that those responsible are adequately punished.