Russian Anarchist Found Dead in Pre-Trial Detention Center

3 days ago 2

A man in southern Russia’s Rostov region was found dead in a pre-trial detention center, the independent news outlet Mediazona reported Friday, citing prison authorities.

Roman Shvedov, 39, a self-described anarchist, was sentenced to 16 years in prison earlier this week for setting fire to a district administration building in the Rostov region. His body was found on Wednesday.

According to the Telegram news channel Shot, Shvedov committed suicide. The Moscow Times could not independently verify that report.

After his arrest in 2022, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Shvedov of trying to “destabilize the activities of the authorities, to influence their decisionmaking,” as well as to protest the war in Ukraine and partial mobilization.

Investigators said he broke a window on the first floor of an administrative building and threw a container of gasoline inside before setting it on fire. As a result, the office of the deputy head of the Zimovnikovsky district and the head of one of the departments caught fire.

Authorities estimated the fire damage at 941,000 rubles ($8,700).

In his correspondence with the human rights organization Zona Solidarnosti, Shvedov refused legal assistance. He said that he “would rot in prison” and that it was impossible to help him, asking instead to help other political prisoners.

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