Poland: Murder of Russian artist with political motivations
A 44-year-old Russian draughtsman has been murdered in Poland. Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks of a political assassination with possible involvement by Russia.
Poland: Murder of Russian artist with political motivations
A 44-year-old Russian artist, known under the artistic pseudonym Semion Skrepiecki, was murdered on Monday in eastern Poland. The victim, Robert Kuzowkow, was shot by an unknown person in a car park near the Belarusian consulate.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that all evidence points to this being a political assassination. "If it was commissioned by Russia, then this is also a very serious matter of international significance," Tusk added.
According to Polish authorities, the perpetrator shot the artist three times with a revolver. When Skrepiecki fell to the ground, the attacker approached him and fired two more shots at close range. A search for the perpetrator is ongoing.
The Polish Prime Minister revealed that both the police and the national intelligence service had offered protection to Skrepiecki, which he rejected for unknown reasons. Two Belarusians were detained in connection with the case, but were released, as informed by the judicial authorities.
Skrepiecki had settled in Poland in 2021, claiming he feared political persecution in Russia. He continued to express a critical stance towards the Russian regime through provocative drawings, in which he depicted figures from the Russian political scene, such as Vladimir Putin, Joseph Stalin, Ramzan Kadyrov and Alexei Navalny. He repeatedly criticised the Ukrainian government on social media, which led to the controversial Ukrainian website Myrotvorec publishing his residential address.
Skrepiecki's murder joins a series of attacks on opponents of the Russian regime abroad, such as former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died from polonium poisoning in 2006 in Great Britain, and Sergei Skripal with his daughter Yulia, who survived Novichok poisoning in 2018.
Source: Ta Nea