Bastian Vasquez

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".

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)
Cause of deathpossible Murder
Occupation(s)Hip hop singer and jihadist
AllegianceISIL

Early activism

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

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

References
  1. "VASQUEZ, BASTIAN ALEXIS". Interpol. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  2. "Norsk islamist (24) i terrorvideo fra grensen mellom Syria og Irak". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 30 June 2014.
  3. "– Ikke livstegn fra Bastian Vasquez (25) siden januar". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 14 October 2015.
  4. "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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