Circassian blogger Khasan Matuev detained in Turkey, faces extradition to Russia

Khasan Matuev, a Circassian blogger from Kabarda–Balkaria, has been detained in Turkey for reportedly residing there illegally. He now faces extradition to Russia, where he has been wanted since 2013 for allegedly fighting in Syria and having ties to the Islamic State.

News of Matuev’s detention was reported by the Telegram channel Circassian Media. According to the channel, he was detained during a routine document inspection.

Matuev is reportedly not a legal resident in Turkey, rendering him vulnerable to extradition to Russia.

‘Given his active public profile, extraditing Khasan Matuev to the Russian Federation would likely result in political persecution. The situation requires urgent attention from the Circassian diaspora in Turkey and international human rights organisations’, the statement read.

RFE/RL, citing Circassian Media, has reported that both diaspora activists and human rights defenders in Turkey have already responded to the situation and are ‘working on resolving the issue’.

Matuev is known for his YouTube and Telegram channels, which focus on religious and political issues, including Islam in the North Caucasus, criticism of the Russian authorities, and matters related to cultural identity and freedoms. His Telegram channel has more than 2,000 subscribers, and his YouTube videos — often lengthy monologues about international politics — have garnered thousands of views. His most recent broadcast, nearly five hours long, was published in April 2025.

Meanwhile, according to reports citing law enforcement sources published in 2015 by the Russian news agency RIA’s Kabarda–Balkaria service, no relation to the state-run RIA Novosti media outlet, Matuev was identified as the author of a propaganda video produced by the Islamic State. The video purported to show the aftermath of Russian air strikes on residential areas in Syria. According to security officials, Matuev acted as both ‘correspondent’ and cameraperson for the video.

Authorities claim that prior to leaving Russia, Matuev led an extremist group which collected information about police officers, procured weapons, and planned attacks. He was detained in 2008 and later sentenced by Nalchik City Court to three years in a penal settlement for the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition. After serving his sentence, he moved to Moscow, where, according to security officials, he was ‘ideologically influenced’ at a local mosque. In 2013, he left for Turkey and allegedly crossed into Syria to join militant forces.

Later that year, he was placed on the federal wanted list. Russian authorities subsequently added his name to the official register of extremists and terrorists. Law enforcement later alleged that in the staged video filmed by Matuev, the supposed ‘civilians’ were in fact militants acting out roles. A security source stated that following Russia’s military intervention in Syria, the Islamic State began mass-producing propaganda videos in which ‘civilians’ were shown condemning Russia and its leadership, as well as muftis and others involved in anti-terrorism operations.

Despite these allegations, Matuev has consistently denied any affiliation with terrorist groups in his public statements.

Foreboding and fracture for Turkey’s North Caucasus diaspora

Turkey’s North Caucasian diaspora has long occupied an uneasy position between Ankara and Moscow, but after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Erdogan’s re-election, tensions within the community and its representative organisations are coming to the fore. This year’s commemoration of the Circassian Genocide on 21 May stood out: instead of primarily gathering in Istanbul, the bulk of the commemoration took place in Ankara at Anıtpark — a park built in the shadow of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s mausol

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