Pianist jailed in Russia for criticizing Ukraine war dies in custody
Pianist Pavel Kuschnir, jailed in Russia for criticism of the Ukraine war, has died at the age of 39. A non-governmental organization and his acquaintances reported that Kuschnir died in a prison in the city of Birobidzhan in Russia's Far East, near the border with China. His death has not been officially confirmed, and the local prison authority did not respond to AFP's request for comment on Monday.
"We received letters from his fellow inmates and from this detention center, there is no longer any doubt that he has died," said Olga Romanova, a representative of a non-governmental organization that cares for Russian prisoners from exile, to the news channel "Current Times". According to her, the pianist died during a hunger strike.
A long-time friend of Kuschnir, Olga Shkrygunova, confirmed to the platform "Vot Tak" that she had been informed of his death by his mother. Apparently, he died at the end of July. The team of the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February, published a fundraising appeal on the online service X on Monday to collect money for the repatriation of Kuschnir's body to his hometown of Tambov.
The imprisonment of the pianist was reported in a Telegram channel with local news from Birobidzhan in May 2024. According to the report, he was accused of "calling for terrorism," which carries long prison sentences in Russia. His arrest was not officially announced.
According to "Vot Tak", Kuschnir had published four videos on a YouTube channel, which had been subscribed to by several dozen people, since November 2022. In them, he criticized the Kremlin and the invasion in Ukraine. Kuschnir had a diploma from the renowned Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and had been a soloist at the Birobidzhan Philharmonic since 2023.
The authorities should conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Pavel Kuschnir in 'The attack area' of the prison, as concerns arise about potential negligence. Upon further examination of the detention center's records, it was revealed that Kuschnir died due to complications from his hunger strike, which took place in 'The attack area' of the prison.
