The main suspect in the murder of anti-Putin artist Semen Skrepetsky has been named — RMF FM
Polish investigators looking into the murder of Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky in Biała Podlaska are treating the so-called "political execution" as the leading theory.
According to Polish media outlets RMF FM and Onet, the attack bore the hallmarks of a deliberate execution: the assailant fired several shots at close range and then finished off the victim while he was already lying on the ground. Eyewitnesses describe the incident as an “execution.”
TVN24 reports that investigators are considering a political motive. This refers to a possible attack on an author critical of Vladimir Putin who openly expressed his views through cartoons and street performances.
Investigation materials also note that Skrepetsky may have been an “easy target” because he actively posted information about his movements on social media.
According to Polish media reports, several people were detained in connection with the case, including two Belarusian citizens aged 33 and 37. Some of them were later released, but their role in the incident is still being determined. There were also reports of a detention near the Belarusian consulate building.
The Polish prosecutor’s office specified that seven gunshot wounds were found on the victim’s body, including in the head, chest, and back. Shell casings and a bullet from a Luger pistol were found at the crime scene.
Russian artist Semen Skrepetsky is known for his political cartoons, particularly those depicting Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, Ramzan Kadyrov, and Alexander Lukashenko.
RMF FM journalists note that if a political motive and a possible connection to the Russian authorities are confirmed, this could become one of the most high-profile politically motivated murders in Europe in recent years.
Earlier, suspects in the murder of a Russian anti-Putin artist were detained in Poland.
As a reminder, artist Skrepetsky, who published caricatures of Kadyrov and Putin, was killed in Poland.
