A Russian historian was detained in Israel immediately upon arrival
Russian historian, journalist, and blogger Artem Kirpichonok was detained at an airport in Israel. According to his associates, he stopped responding after his arrival, and Israel’s General Security Service (Shin Bet) has been brought in to investigate the case.
This was reported by Daria Mitina, a former member of the Russian State Duma.
According to her, contact with the historian was lost on August 2, immediately after he landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. Then, on August 5, Mitina reported that she had learned of Kirpichonok’s whereabouts.
“Our worst fears have been confirmed. Artem Ivanovich Kirpichonok is in prison, in the hands of the Israeli secret police, the SHABAK,” she wrote.
According to Kirpichonok’s supporters, he is being represented by Israeli attorney Inna Led. She has not publicly disclosed any details regarding the grounds for his detention or the historian’s legal status.
Artem Kirpichonok holds a Ph.D. in History. He studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and specializes in the history of Zionism, the Middle East, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
According to publicly available biographical information, Kirpichonok holds both Russian and Israeli citizenship. In the past, he lived in Israel for over 15 years and even served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
In recent years, he has actively published material criticizing Israel’s policies toward Palestine and Iran, describing himself as a representative of anti-Zionist Jewish criticism. In Russia, Kirpichonok collaborated with left-wing and pro-Kremlin political circles, participated in public debates, and maintained a blog.
As of the time of publication, Israeli law enforcement agencies and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) had not issued any official statements regarding Kirpichonok’s detention. Nor has there been any report of charges being filed against him or of any pretrial measures being imposed.
The Shin Bet’s official website regularly publishes reports on high-profile detentions and investigations, but there is currently no information regarding Artem Kirpichonok’s case.
Thus, at this time, information regarding the arrest is based on statements from people in his inner circle, while the Israeli side has not officially commented on this matter.
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