More evidence has come to light that Maxim Martsinkevich, nicknamed Tesak, was murdered in his cell, his father and lawyer said.
Officials in Russia say that Tesak committed suicide in his cell in a Urals detention center.
The officials claim that he committed suicide by asphyxia on 16 September 2020. He was 36.
His father Sergey though has highlighted ‘disturbing’ new information about the death.
He said: “I examined the body. It really was murder. There were traces of torture, two toenails torn off, there was an injection…. Do not believe this was suicide.”
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| Tesak’s body in prison |
The body was discovered on the lower bunk in the cell. Sergey claimed that his son’s arms had been twisted before death.
The upper bunk in the cell was coated with blood and the words ‘Tesak died here.’
Lawyer Ivan Sidorov said that the whole cell was covered in blood.
Yet one of several ‘suicide notes’ by Tesak said that he could not walk at the time of his death. All of the notes were also dated October 2020.
Mir Sidorov said: “So Maxim got up and wandered around? Suicides don’t do that. They usually hide quietly under the sheet. There are a lot of strange and incomprehensible aspects.”
A handwriting expert has said that one of the notes was in a women’s writing. While the time of death on the official certification does not match the original statement by the officials.
One inconsistency shows that Tesak refused breakfast in jail when, by official documents, he was already dead.
Tesak was listed as a criminal leader and an escape risk and was meant to be monitored every 30 minutes Sergey and Sidorov say.
Yet the CCTV cameras in his cell were not working on the night when he died, they said.
The lawyer added that the prison chief was ‘very embarrassed’ that gruesome pictures of the corpse showed the Neo-Nazi wearing earplugs when he died.
“No explanation has been given,” he said.
Tesak was in transit to Moscow for a court hearing at the time of his death.
Tesak had stated previously that “If suddenly I slash my veins or hang myself while in transit, know that I was helped. Strongly.”
His family is demanding an independent investigation into the death.
Tesak was jailed for ten years for ‘banditry and hooliganism’ after a vigilante campaign where alleged drugs suppliers were attacked with metal bats, pepper spray and electric shockers.
He had three prior convictions relating to extremism and inciting hatred and ran far-right youth groups and posed with swastikas.
The Russian Investigative Committee has denied he was murdered.
Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for the committee, said: “One can say with confidence that Martsinkevich left suicide notes and committed suicide. He had a very serious motive to kill himself.”
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