Abakar Abakarov, a Dagestani opposition activist wanted by Russian authorities for allegedly inciting an antisemitic pogrom at Makhachkala Airport in October 2023, was found stabbed to death on Friday in a rented villa in Istanbul. Turkish police have launched a criminal investigation.
Abakarov, who ran the Telegram channel Utro Dagestan, had leased the villa under a false name on October 6 while seeking refuge from political persecution. Surveillance footage reportedly shows a visitor entering the villa on October 7 carrying two suitcases. His body, bearing multiple stab wounds, was sent to a forensic institute.
Russian authorities accused Abakarov of one of three leadership roles in the airport unrest, during which protesters targeted a flight from Tel Aviv, injuring around 20 people. The Dagestani diaspora in Turkey condemned his killing as “an attack on the freedom of the Dagestani people” but observers note it raises questions about the safety of Russian exiles abroad.
No arrests or official comments have been made by Turkish authorities. Abakarov’s case has been forwarded to the Supreme Court of Dagestan.
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