Andriy Akuzin, a 53-year-old artist, was found dead in a detention facility in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia, on April 8, shortly after his arrest for comments made on social media. Reports indicate that he took his own life in custody.
According to Tatiana Frolova, a friend and director residing in France, Akuzin was detained on April 2 for a comment made the previous year. Frolova stated that he was arrested for a ‘like’ or a response to a post, emphasizing that he was not a terrorist but rather an individual who did not wish to remain silent.
Frolova noted that Akuzin had celebrated his birthday just days before his death. Following his passing, he was posthumously added to a list of individuals deemed terrorists and extremists on April 10. Frolova also mentioned that Akuzin did not have legal representation at the time of his arrest.
In correspondence with Frolova, Akuzin reportedly expressed a belief that ‘the only free protest today is suicide.’ His interests included protest movements and the banned Russian group ‘Art Preparation,’ according to a Telegram bot analyzing public comments.
While Akuzin’s social media presence did not feature overt political statements, he did share a video in July 2022 showing a military march being performed by an orchestra in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, captioned ‘No to War.’
As of now, there has been no comment from law enforcement regarding the circumstances surrounding Akuzin’s death.
Andriy Akuzin, a Russian artist, reportedly took his own life in custody after being arrested for social media comments. His case has raised concerns about the treatment of dissenters in Russia.