▲ Simon Shchepetskii in front of the Russian Embassy in Germany
A dissident writer who has been critical of the Russian leadership, including President Vladimir Putin, has been assassinated in Poland.
According to Polish media Polskie Radio and German newspaper Die Zeit, Simon Shchepetskii (44, real name Robert Kuzhopkov), a Russian-born satirical artist, was shot and killed in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland, at 10:00 a.m. on June 15 (local time).
Local media reported that the suspect fired several shots at close range and continued shooting even after Shchepetskii had fallen to the ground.
Police have arrested one suspect near the Belarusian consulate in Biala Podlaska.
Biala Podlaska is a city located approximately 35 km from the border with Belarus.
Authorities believe there is an accomplice and are currently in pursuit.
Born in the Altai Republic in southern Siberia, Shchepetskii was known for creating satirical portraits of President Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in 2024.
He sought asylum in Poland in 2021.
Three days before his death, Shchepetskii marched around the Russian Embassy in Berlin, Germany, carrying his artwork.
He also performed a demonstration in which he threw a Russian flag into a trash can.
The artwork he displayed was a portrait in the style of a religious icon, comparing Putin and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (1879–1953) to the relationship between Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
(Photo: Personal Facebook, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.