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On February 26 of this year, blogger critical of the Chechen regime Tumsu Abdurachmanov awoke in his home in Gävle with a severe blow to the head. A man sitting across from him on the bed attacked him with a hammer.
“The man didn’t say anything, but he roared or growled and looked furious,” Abdurachmanov told police afterward.
The blogger suffered several head injuries, but managed to stay conscious and subdue his attacker. In a bloody video that Abdurachmanov posted on his channels, he later made the attacker admit that he came from Moscow.
Images shown in court Monday showed heavy blood splatters in the bedroom where the attack took place, and the alleged attacker was seen lying on the floor next to the bed with his hands bandaged behind his back.
“It is the actors with connections to the Chechen leadership who have not only had the motive, the resources and the ability to carry out this operation, but have also had the purpose of knocking out Tumsu Abdurachmanov once and for all.” said prosecutor Per Lindqvist in his case presentation in district court. Monday.
Russian citizen
The man suspected of carrying out the attack is a Russian citizen in his 30s and, according to the prosecutor, he was hired to assassinate the critic of the regime.
– Denies the act, but is willing to submit to liability for aggravated assault, the man’s attorney, Gustaf Andersson, said in district court.
In addition to the man, a woman in her 30s, also a Russian citizen, is accused of being involved in the attack. She is charged with complicity in an assassination attempt and, according to prosecutor Per Lindqvist, had entered into a relationship with Abdurachmanov in order to help with the attack.
She is suspected of sharing photos of her home with other people and allowing the attacker to enter Abdurachmanov’s apartment when the attack took place.
The woman denies the crime.
Hamming Video
According to the prosecutor, the assassination attempt is based on the criticism that the blogger directed against Achmat Kadyrov, former president of the Chechen Republic and father of the current president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
The criticism led the Speaker of the Chechen Parliament to declare a “blood feud” against Abdurachmanov in March 2019. The 20-minute film, which was posted on the president’s social media accounts, was screened in its entirety on Monday at the district court.
Waiting for justice
Tumsu Abdurachmanov tells TT that the blood revenge that was proclaimed against him is the reason why the assassination attempt on him took place.
– This happened because, as a blogger, I criticize the Russian regime in Chechnya, he says.
TT: Are you still worried about your safety?
– Yes, it’s me, says Tumsu Abdurachmanov.
Marc Skogelin / TT
Beatrice Nordensson / TT
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