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.
Activist Anatoly Berezikov died in a detention centre in Rostov-on-Don on 14 June. According to his lawyer Irina Gak, Berezikov had electric shock marks on his body.
She said that on 10 May Berezikov’s house was searched without the necessary documents to allow police officers to do so. According to the activist, his ribs were broken then.
Public defender Tatyana Sporysheva told IStories that shortly before Berezikov’s death his bank card with 800,000 rubles (€8,700) went missing.
According to her, they last saw each other on 31 May during his second administrative arrest trial.
“All of his belongings and a bank card with 800,000 rubles on it were missing. He asked to have it blocked when we were in court,” Sporysheva said.
She also denies the theory that Berezikov committed suicide or had a heart attack. According to her, Berezikov died not on the day of 14 June, when his absence from the detention centre was recorded by lawyer Irina Gak, but at night. The murder could have taken place outside the detention centre, believes Sporysheva.
Dept. One raised almost 500,000 rubles (€5,500) for the investigation of Berezikov’s death. Another 500,000 rubles was collected for his funeral.
