Arrest after killing of Kremlin critic in Poland
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a Russian artist in Biała Podlaska. Two Belarusian citizens were previously arrested and released.
Arrest after killing of Kremlin critic in Poland
Warsaw authorities have detained a man holding a Georgian passport in connection with the murder of Semyon Skrepieckiy, a Russian artist who was critical of Vladimir Putin. The information was announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday on the X platform. The arrest was made possible through cooperation between the police of Lublin Voivodeship and the Internal Security Agency.
Skrepieckiy, whose real name was Robert Kusovkov, was killed by multiple gunshots in Biała Podlaska in eastern Poland on Monday. The artist was known for creating provocative caricatures of Russian politicians, including Joseph Stalin. In 2021 he left Russia, explaining that he was fleeing political persecution.
Tusk described the case as a "political murder" and suggested that it may have been commissioned by Russia. According to him, if these suspicions are confirmed, it would be a case of state terrorism with serious international implications. Authorities continue to search for whoever ordered the killing.
Previously, the district prosecutor's office in Lublin had detained two Belarusian citizens, but released them due to lack of evidence of their involvement in the crime.
In recent years, many opponents of the Russian government have been attacked abroad, also in Germany. In 2019, a Russian agent shot a Georgian in Berlin in the Kleiner Tiergarten park. The perpetrator, who was later convicted, was released during a prisoner exchange.
Source: Spiegel
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)