Law enforcement has torn down a spontaneous memorial in the Academic City of Novosibirsk. The memorial was dedicated to professor Dmitry Kolker, who died while in custody after being arrested over high treason charges, reports Telegram channel Nenauchny gorodok (Unacademic city).
Residents set up the memorial on 3 July, the day of Kolker’s death. Flowers and photos of scientists Dmitry Kolker and Anatoly Maslov were put near the monument dedicated to academic Valentin Koptyug.
“We demand law enforcement be held accountable!” said the people responsible for the sign.
A reader of the Telegram channel reported that the sign had disappeared. According to him, there was a police car nearby.
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.
He was arrested on 30 June over high treason charges; he was taken straight from the hospital — the professor had fourth stage pancreatic cancer. The next day, despite the state of his health, a Novosibirsk court sent Kolker to a Moscow pre-trial detention centre.
Dmitry Kolker. Photo: social media
On 2 July, Anatoly Maslov, a professor of theoretical and applied mechanics at Novosibirsk University and the Russian Academy of Sciences member, was arrested over high treason charges.
