Russian dissident artist Semyon Skrepezki murdered in Poland
Semyon Skrepezki was shot dead near his Biala Podlaska apartment on June 15 around 9:50 a.m., according to the Lublin prosecutor's office. Three of the five shots were fired after Skrepezki had already collapsed on the ground. He died at the scene. The perpetrator fled but was apprehended three days later. Five shell casings and a nine millimeter Luger bullet were found at the crime scene.
This is the same ammunition that was used in the 2019 killing of Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin. Maxim Kusminov, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine, was also shot and killed with a weapon of the same caliber in 2024, reports independent Russian news outlet Agentstwo.
A politically motivated murder?
Skrepezki's suspected killer was arrested near the Polish capital Warsaw, according to a statement posted by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X on June 18. The suspect was using a Georgian passport, according to Tusk and the Polish prosector's office. Polish authorities are now working to identify the person who orchestrated Skrepezki's murder, Tusk added.
Speaking at a press conference on the previous day, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the murder bore all the hallmarks of a political assassination. Yet he also said further evidence and leads were required before reaching any conclusions. He stated that if the killing proved to be Russian-orchestrated, it would constitute a very serious incident of international significance, equating to "state terrorism."
Polish media outlets have described Skrepezki as an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and speculated whether his murder could have been a contract killing. "It looked like an execution," one official familiar with the case told Polish news portal Onet.
Belarusian performance artist Vlad Bokhan, who was in contact with Skrepezki shortly before his death, also believes his killing may have been politically motivated. Bokhan told DW the killing likely served two purposes, namely to "eliminate a person, and to intimidate." The murder "sends a message to those who engage in similar activities," the artist added.
Berlin protest
Skrepezki war born in Russia in 1981 as Robert Kuzovkov. He lived in Siberia's Altai region until 2021, after which he fled to Poland out of fear of political persecution where he was granted protected status.
He was best known for his political cartoons, including depictions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
He also organized protests in various cities across Europe. Skrepezki published a post on his Telegram channel mere hours before his death showing screenshots of threats he received following his most recent protest in front of Berlin's Russian embassy on June 12.
During the protest, Skrepezki held up one of his caricatures showing Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin cradling Russian President Putin, depicted as a toddler. A Russian flag was sticking out of a hole in Skrepezki's trousers, dragging along the ground. He later threw the flag into a trash can.
"I think that after that Berlin incident, someone gave the order to eliminate him," Andrej, a Belarusian diaspora activist in Biala Podlaska, told DW. Andrej doesn't want to reveal his real name for security reasons.
Andrej met Skrepezki in 2021. At that time, Skrepezki had repeatedly joined anti-war protests organized by Belarusians and Ukrainians in Biala Podlaska.
Andrej last saw Skrepezki last week. He says Skrepezki seemed "a little scared." Andrej told DW that Biala Podlaska is a quiet and safe city and says that this is precisely why Skrepezki chose to live there. "There are no secrets here," told DW. "You know every car, every person." He added that "Skrepezki has five children. His wife is pregnant with their sixth, it's easier for a large family to live here in this small town."
Bokhan said Skrepezki had recently focused on organizing new street performances. "We spoke to each other less than 24 hours before his murder," Bokhan told DW. "He talked about new ideas and suggested that we do something together in Warsaw or Berlin, he wanted to keep working and was making plans."
However, Bokhan also said that Skrepezki had been receiving threats constantly from various different sources. Skrepezki was also critical of Ukrainian authorities. This led to Skrepezki's personal information — including his address and social media monikers — being published in a controversial Ukrainian database hosted by an internet platform called Myrotworez, which translated to "peacemaker" in English. It lists individuals deemed to "pose a threat to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
This article was originally published in Russian.
