A Russian singer is missing amidst speculation he was tortured to death for being gay.
Zelimkhan Bakayev, 26, hasn’t been seen since Aug. 8 and his Instagram account has since gone offline.
Friends believe Bakayev was captured by police in Chechnya, where he attended a wedding.
“At the end of August, we received confirmation of our earlier presumption that Bakayev was detained by Chechen authorities due to suspicion of homosexuality,” Igor Kocketkov of the Russian LGBT Network said at a press conference, according to reports.
A spokesperson for the Chechen regional government said in August that Bakayev was safe and will show up “after some time.” Dzhambulat Umarov added: “No authorities have taken him.”
Then, last month, two videos were posted to YouTube claiming to show Bakayev alive and well in Germany — but some people claim that a brand of energy drink seen in the clips is not sold in Germany and the singer appears to be sitting on Russian-made furniture.
The Chechnya government has been purging gay men from the majority-Muslim region. Dozens have spoken out about being detained and tortured.
The Globe and Mail reported in September that the Canadian government has been giving asylum to Chechen men for several months.