In brief
Russian caricaturist Semyon Skrepetsky was shot dead in a car park near the Belarus consulate in Biała Podlaska, Poland, on Monday. Police say the gunman fired five shots before fleeing and have detained two Belarusian citizens as suspects. Skrepetsky was a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and had fled Russia in 2021 to seek asylum in Poland, where he continued to publish satirical works about world leaders. The case has intensified debate over the safety of opposition figures abroad and the role of state‑affiliated security services in violent acts.
Polish police confirmed that a Russian caricaturist known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, real name Robert Kuzovkov, was shot dead Monday morning in a car‑park in the town of Biała Podlaska, located about 40 kilometres from the Belarusian border.
According to prosecutors, the 44‑year‑old was killed in five separate gunshot wounds to the head, chest and back. The attacker fired the initial two shots from a distance and, after the victim fell, fired three more before abandoning the scene. Investigators recovered five shell casings and one Geco 9mm Luger bullet from the crime spot.
Polish authorities detained two Belarusian citizens aged 33 and 37 near the consulate, although their involvement is still being assessed. A spokesperson for the district prosecutor’s office, Marcin Kozak, said the suspect was a "different gunman" whose identity remains an ongoing inquiry.
Skrepetsky had fled Russia in 2021 after fearing prosecution for his satirical cartoons, which often portrayed Vladimir Putin in the arms of Stalin and accused Belarusist Alexander Lukashenko of emulating Adolf Hitler. He settled in Biała Podlaska to continue publishing caricatures on platforms such as Telegram and YouTube, and his address was actively shared online.
The artist’s work also mocked Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and ordinary Ukrainians, in addition to far‑right Russian and Chechen leaders. His graphic style, which combined humor with political criticism, won him a notoriety that drew the attention of state‑sanctioned security services.
A post‑mortem examination has been scheduled for Wednesday. Skrepetsky is survived by his wife and five children, who are currently in Poland. The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the security of foreign dissidents and the potential reach of government‑backed threats beyond their borders.
