Bastian Vasquez

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Bastian Vasquez
Bastian Vasquez in the ISIL propaganda video of 2014
Born
Bastian Alexis Vásquez Núñez

(1990-04-09)9 April 1990
Skien
Diedapprox. 9 March/May 2015 (aged 25)
Occupation(s)Hip hop singer and jihadist
AllegianceISIL

Bastian Vasquez (9 April 1990[1] – 2015), also known as Abu Safiyyah,[2] was a Norwegian jihadist who made prominent appearances in propaganda videos for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[3] He is presumed to have died in January or in April/May 2015, in a non-combat infighting incident;[4] another source, Verdens Gang, says that he "lost his life in March 2015, while working with the production of bombs for IS".

Early activism[edit]

Born in Skien, Norway and of Chilean background, he was in a group of hip hop singers.[5] Vasquez joined the Norwegian Islamist group Profetens Ummah, reportedly recruited by Mohyeldeen Mohammad, after having converted to Islam in his teens.[6] He lived in Barcelona where he frequented Salafi circles.[7] He then joined ISIL and travelled to Syria in 2012.[3] He was due to meet in court in 2013 for having uploaded a video on YouTube, for which he was charged with making threats against the Norwegian government and the King of Norway.[2]

ISIL propagandist[edit]

On 29 June 2014 Vasquez appeared as the presenter in an ISIL propaganda video released by Al Hayat Media Center and titled The End of Sykes-Picot,[8] where he is seen showing a group of captives in a building, after which the building was blown up with Vasquez seen laughing and praising Allah.[3] He also appeared in a video where he described how he and others had killed Iraqi soldiers, and where a police station was blown up.[9][10] Following the publication of the videos, he was charged under Norway's anti-terror laws and wanted through Interpol, while his bank accounts were frozen.[3][4] Although often described as having risen through the ranks in the leadership of ISIL, others have claimed that his role was limited to propaganda work.[3][4]

Vasquez is reported to have suddenly stopped all communications with people in Norway in January, or possibly in April/May 2015. He is presumed to have been killed as part of infighting in ISIL, with differing theories on the specific sequence of events.[4] Author Åsne Seierstad wrote in her book Two Sisters (October 2016) that Vasquez was executed by ISIS after he had killed the son of Arfan Bhatti, a leading figure in the Norwegian Islamist group Profetens Ummah.[11] The Norwegian newspaper VG wrote that Vasquez was killed while making bombs for ISIS in March 2015.[12]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "VASQUEZ, BASTIAN ALEXIS". Interpol. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Norsk islamist (24) i terrorvideo fra grensen mellom Syria og Irak". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 30 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e "– Ikke livstegn fra Bastian Vasquez (25) siden januar". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 14 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d "Norsk IS-medlem skal ha blitt drept i krangel med sine egne". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 12 October 2015.
  5. ^ Morgenbladet, Simen Sæthre (23 February 2015). Thorsen, Tom Erik (ed.). "Slik ble Bastian fra Gulset IS-kriger". Varden (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Fra Skien til ISIL". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). 2 July 2014.
  7. ^ Irujo, José María (31 January 2016). "Sube la lista de yihadistas residentes en España muertos en Siria". El País (in Spanish). Prisa. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Video: Islamic state media branch releases 'The end of Sykes-Picot'". Belfast Telegraph. INM Website. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  9. ^ Gjerstad, Synnøve (30 June 2014). "Her er islamist (25) fra Skien i terrorvideo". TV 2 (in Norwegian). Labrador CMS. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  10. ^ Christoffersen, Jonas Fabritius; Zaman, Kadafi (1 July 2014). "PST starter etterforskning Bastian Vasquez". TV 2 (in Norwegian). Labrador CMS. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Norwegian ISIS fighter 'murdered two-year-old stepson'". The Local. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  12. ^ Johnsen, Nilas (1 March 2021). "Vasquez mistet livet i april 2015, mens han jobbet med produksjon av bomber for IS". VG. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
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