Polish police are investigating the execution-style murder of a Russian artist known for his regime-critical caricatures. The 44-year-old Robert Kuzovkov, who worked under the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot dead on Monday morning in the town of Biała Podlaska, about 40 kilometers from the Belarusian border.
According to the Lublin police, Kuzovkov was attacked by an unknown gunman in a parking lot about 600 meters from the Belarusian consulate. Marcin Kozak, a Lublin police spokesman, said: “The perpetrator shot the victim twice. When the victim fell to the ground, the perpetrator approached, fired three more shots, and then quickly fled the scene. Robert K. died at the scene.”
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday. Five cartridge cases and a Geco 9mm Luger cartridge were recovered at the scene. Kuzovkov was known for his caricatures of politicians, including Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
The case carries political weight, as Kuzovkov was a prominent Kremlin critic. The investigation is ongoing; the motives behind the killing remain unclear.
Source: www.bbc.com
