The artist, known as Semjon Skrepezkij, was killed on Monday in the small town of Biała Podlaska, east of Warsaw, in broad daylight. According to Polish authorities, an attacker fired three shots at him and then two more at close range while the victim lay on the ground. Witnesses described the killing as resembling an execution.
Two Belarusian citizens initially detained were released after police found no evidence of their direct involvement. Tusk acknowledged the case is difficult because contract killers are hard to identify, but said Polish authorities are doing everything necessary.
If Russia is behind the killing, it would be an incident of international significance. Tusk called it “state terrorism.” The artist had mocked Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in satirical works. He had lived in Poland since 2021. Last Friday, on Russia’s national holiday, he protested outside the Russian embassy in Berlin with a caricature showing Putin as a baby in Stalin’s arms.
Security agencies in several European countries had previously warned of possible attacks on Russian government opponents in exile or foiled such attempts.
Source: www.faz.net
