Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Thursday that a suspect in the murder of a Russian artist critical of President Vladimir Putin has been detained.
The individual was taken into custody by police in cooperation with Poland’s Internal Security Agency, Tusk wrote on X. He noted that the suspect was traveling on a Georgian passport, which local police in Lublin identified as belonging to a 36‑year‑old man.
Prosecutors say the victim, identified as Robert Kuzovkov, also known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot five times, including a fatal head wound. Two Belarusians have also been detained in connection with the killing in Biała Podlaska, though they have not yet been charged.
Skrepetsky was renowned for his provocative caricatures targeting Russian political figures such as Vladimir Putin, Joseph Stalin, the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. One of his most famous pieces reimagined a traditional Orthodox icon, portraying Stalin cradling Putin in place of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus.
He relocated to Poland in 2021, citing fears of political persecution in Russia. While in exile, he participated in Russian opposition events and openly criticized the opposition itself. He had recently organized a protest in Berlin.
Authorities are seeking to identify the individual who ordered the assassination, Tusk said, without providing further details.
Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Bartoszewski told Radio Zet that “Chechens, whom this man had heavily attacked, are also potentially suspected.”
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AFP)
