Activist Anatoly Berezikov died in a detention center in Rostov-on-Don. We demand to provide an independent investigation and bring those responsible to justice!

On 14 June 2023, 40-year old activist Anatoly Berezikov died in a detention center in Rostov-on-Don. This was reported by a lawyer from the OVD-Info NGO, who suspects that the man could have been killed by law enforcement officers in the process of torture. The watchdog office, however, said that Berezikov committed suicide.

According to the group of lawyers "Pervyi Otdel" Anatoli Berezikov was suspected of posting anti-war leaflets. On May 10 his house was raided. After that, Berezikov was taken to the woods, tortured, his ribs allegedly broken, and then arrested on charges of disobedience to the police and taken to a special detention center.

Berezikov was repeatedly arrested. In between arrests, FSB officers came to the activist, took him to the woods, and tortured him with a stun gun. "According to "Pervyi Otdel" Berezikov was about to face criminal charges of treason, and during the torture, FSB officers promised to "put him in jail for life.

During each meeting with his lawyer, the activist spoke about torture and threats. On the eve of his death, his lawyer recorded stun gun marks on Berezikov's body. Anatoly complained about the threats of operatives to "kill the enemy of the people". Berezikov claimed that he did not think about suicide - on the contrary, he was afraid that he would be killed in the special detention center.

The above facts allow us to assume that a crime was committed against Berezikov, which caused his death or created the conditions for it.

We believe that the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation should take all possible efforts to verify these facts.

Therefore, we demand from the Russian Investigative Committee:

1. To conduct an inspection of the stated facts which contain information that a crime was committed against Berezikov;

2. If the above facts are confirmed, to open the criminal proceedings.