Russian Investigative Committee found no evidence of crime in arrest of scientist Kolker, who died while detained

The Investigative Committee of Russia has found no evidence of crime in the arrest of Russian scientist Dmitry Kolker, reported the head of a human rights group Agora Pavel Chikov, citing lawyer Alexander Fedulov. Professor Kolker was accused of high treason and sent to a Moscow pre-trial detention centre by court, despite the fact that he had fourth stage cancer.

The Investigative Committee forwarded the lawyer’s appeal to the Federal Security Service (FSB). Now, service employees will establish whether the FSB agents that had detained a gravely ill Kolker broke the law during the arrest.

Previously, Chikov reported that the Novosibirsk regional hospital doctor, who had signed a note saying that Kolker could take part in the investigation despite his condition, urgently went on vacation. 

According to the Mediazone outlet, the hospital employee that signed the note on the day of Kolker’s arrest had written that the patient was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Lawyer Fedulov thinks that the FSB Detective Morozov walked into the regional hospital and asked a random doctor to write the note. 

Kolker had fourth stage pancreatic cancer. On 23 June, he had a CT scan done, which is confirmed by a document from a clinic Avitsenna. The scientist died several days after being arrested and sent to the pre-trial detention centre Lefortovo over high treason charges. He was taken straight from the hospital.

Dmitry Kolker, Novosibirsk State Technical University’s professor and Novosibirsk State University’s head of the quantum optical technologies laboratory, died on 3 July, at the age of 54.