Law enforcers have searched the homes of Irina Gak, the lawyer of activist Anatoly Berezikov who died in a detention centre, and human rights activist Tatyana Sporysheva, OVD-Info and Dept. One report.
Sporysheva’s house was searched under the “incitement to extremist activities” pretext, Dept. One notes.
The public defender has no procedural status. She was presented with an order for operational-search activities issued on 2 June. At least four FSB officers were present at the “inspection of the premises”. During the search, equipment was seized from Sporysheva. The woman has not been detained.
There is no information about what is happening in the flat of lawyer Irina Gak yet, human rights activists write. Dept. One notes that according to the current legislation, searches, inspections, and confiscations in relation to an active lawyer are carried out only after a criminal case has been initiated against them or they have been designated as a defendant.
The news emerged earlier that the death of Anatoly Berezikov prompted the authorities to launch a criminal case on suspicion of inciting a person to suicide by threats, cruel treatment, or systematic humiliation of human dignity of the victim.
According to the investigation, Berezikov died of “mechanical asphyxiation”, which means that he hanged himself in his cell, where he was held under administrative arrest, on 14 June at approximately 9:57 AM. Initially, it was reported that he had cellmates, but the investigation now says this was not the case.
“There are serious reasons to believe that Anatoliy Berezikov was murdered. His death must be investigated and the perpetrators punished. The opening of a criminal case under the article on incitement to suicide is a first but important step,” Dept. One said.