A Georgian national has been arrested in Poland in connection with the murder of Russian dissident artist Semyon Skrepetsky, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Thursday. The suspect, detained in the northeastern town of Biała Podlaska where Skrepetsky was killed on Monday, carried a Georgian passport, Tusk told reporters. Polish authorities now consider the killing a political assassination, with prosecutors confirming it was a targeted murder and treating the case as a matter of national security.

Skrepetsky, 44, was shot five times at close range, including once to the head, in a parking lot near Poland’s border with Belarus. The artist, known by his pseudonym Semjon Skrepezki, had gained prominence for his scathing caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Wednesday that “everything points to this being a political assassination,” and reiterated that assessment on Thursday following the arrest. “The manner of operation suggests the involvement of foreign services,” Poland’s coordinator of special services, Tomasz Siemoniak, told local media .

Two other men, initially detained shortly after the killing, have since been released, according to Dutch and Romanian outlets citing Polish police sources . The arrested suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, is now the sole person held in connection with the murder. Polish prosecutors confirmed the killing was deliberate and treated it as a matter of national security within hours of the attack.

The assassination has sent shockwaves through Poland’s political establishment. Tusk, speaking to journalists in Warsaw, described the killing as an “unprecedented act” and vowed a thorough investigation. “We will examine every possible angle, including the involvement of foreign actors,” he said . The case has also drawn international attention, with European media and human rights groups calling for a transparent inquiry into the killing of a prominent Kremlin critic on Polish soil.

Skrepetsky’s work, which frequently mocked Putin’s regime, had made him a target of Russian state-linked harassment in the past. Friends and colleagues described him as a fearless satirist whose art exposed corruption and repression in Russia. His murder in broad daylight has raised concerns about the safety of exiled critics across Europe and intensified scrutiny of foreign intelligence operations on Polish territory. Investigators are now working to determine whether the suspect acted alone or as part of a broader network.

Bluesky Threads

Source Intelligence

12 sources7 countries

Geographic Origin12 located

Political Spectrum7 mapped

Articles

Nieuwe arrestatie in Polen voor moord op Russische cartoonist De Poolse politie heeft een man uit Georgië aangehouden als verdachte van de moord op een Russische cartoonist. Die werd maandag in het oosten van Polen doodgeschoten. Twee eerder aangehouden mannen zijn inmiddels vrijgelaten.

nu.nl · 15 days ago

Jordan Bardella en Pologne : le piège russe avant la présidentielle 2027

lexpress · 15 days ago

Universität Potsdam: Ehemaliger polnischer Justizminister wird Ehrendoktor Für seine Arbeit zu Grund- und Menschenrechten wird dem früheren Justizminister Polens, Adam Bodnar, in Potsdam die Ehrendoktorwürde verliehen.

tagesspiegel · 15 days ago

Polonia a reţinut un suspect în cazul asasinării caricaturistului rus care îl critica pe Putin. Tusk: „Are pașaport georgian Poliţia poloneză a reţinut un bărbat suspectat de implicare în asasinarea, luni, în nord-estul ţării, a unui caricaturist rus exilat, cunoscut pentru desenele sale în care îl ironiza pe Vladimir Putin, a anunţat joi prim-ministrul polonez Donald Tusk.

digi24 · 15 days ago

Russian dissident artist Semyon Skrepezki murdered in Poland Skrepezki was known for his scathing caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His suspected killer has been apprehended.

deutsche welle europe · 15 days ago

Polonia a reținut un suspect în cazul uciderii caricaturistului rus exilat. Premierul Tusk: „Totul indică faptul că e vorba de un asasinat politic Poliția poloneză a reținut un bărbat suspectat de implicare în asasinarea unui caricaturist rus exilat, ucis luni în nord-estul Poloniei, a anunțat joi premierul Donald Tusk.

adevarul · 15 days ago

Zabójstwo w Białej Podlaskiej. Siemoniak: Sposób działania obcych służb Mundurowi zatrzymali mężczyznę, który może mieć związek z zabójstwem 44-letniego Rosjanina w Białej Podlaskiej. Podejrzewany posługiwał się paszportem gruzińskim. Minister koordynator służb specjalnych przekazał, że w sprawie będzie badany wątek udziału obcych służb.

gazeta.pl · 15 days ago

Polen: Festnahme nach Mord an Kreml-Kritiker Der unter dem Pseudonym Semjon Skrepezki bekannte russische Künstler und Putin-Gegner wird in Polen erschossen. Ministerpräsident Tusk spricht von einem politischen Mord.

sueddeutsche · 15 days ago

Suspect detained in Poland in killing of Russian satirist Semyon Skrepetsky

telegram bot · 16 days ago

«Друга Путина» Илью Трабера отправили в СИЗО по делу об убийстве «хозяина Выборга» Александра Петрова. Оба они — центральные фигуры бандитского Петербурга 90-х. Что еще известно о Петрове?

meduza · 16 days ago

Russischer Künstler ermordet: Auf dem Parkplatz erschossen Semyon Skrepetzki begeisterte und verstörte mit seinen Kunstwerken, in denen er das Putin-Regime hart kritisierte. Nun wurde er in Polen erschossen. mehr...

taz.de · 16 days ago

Caricaturiste russe anti-Poutine abattu en Pologne : un homme «soupçonné du meurtre» interpellé Critique virulent du régime, Semyon Skrepetsky a été tué lundi matin en plein jour à Biala Podlaska, dans lest de la Pologne. «Tout indique quil sagit dun assassinat politique», selon le Premier ministre polonais.

liberation · 16 days ago