Murder of Russian artist in Poland probably political killing
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the murder of Russian artist Semion Skrepecki, known for his political caricatures, most likely had a political motivation.
Murder of Russian artist in Poland probably political killing
Russian artist Semion Skrepecki, renowned for his political caricatures, was shot on Monday morning by an unidentified assailant armed with a pistol. According to reports from TVNET, the perpetrator fired three times at the artist, and when he fell to the ground, fired two more times at close range.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Wednesday that all circumstances point to this being a murder with political motivation. "If Russia is the instigator, then the matter takes on a very serious international dimension," emphasised the head of government.
Polish authorities had previously offered Skrepecki protection, which the artist refused. In connection with the artist's death, two Belarusian citizens were initially detained, but they were later released. The investigation into the murder is ongoing.
Semion Skrepecki, whose real name was Robert Kuzowkow, was born in 1981. Until 2021 he lived in the Altai region, from where he emigrated to Poland for political reasons. The artist created caricatures depicting Russian and Belarusian dictator Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Lukashenko, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his son Adam, Patriarch of Moscow Kirill, Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, and former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
In one of his statements, Skrepecki called Navalny "the most successful Kremlin project that destroyed Russian opposition". The artist also criticised Ukrainian authorities and was included in the Ukrainian online database "Mirotvorets", which collects information about people considered by its creators to be a threat to state security, territorial integrity, or the sovereignty of Ukraine.
One of the artist's recent actions was a picket organised on 12 June in Berlin, on the day of Russia's national holiday. Skrepecki presented there a caricature depicting Stalin and Putin in the style of an icon.
Source: Google News LV — Crime (lv)