Russian nationalist ‘Tesak’ found dead in prison cell after apparent suicide

The Russian nationalist Maxim Martsinkevich, better known by his nickname “Tesak” (Hatchet), was found dead today in his prison cell in Chelyabinsk. A source at the facility told the news agency TASS that Martsinkevich killed himself. The prison’s spokespeople later confirmed to journalists at URA.ru that Martsinkevich was alone in his cell before he died. Both prison officials and state investigators are now reviewing the incident.

There’s some confusion, however, about whether or not he left a suicide note. A source told Baza that guards found a note where Martsinkevich allegedly said he intended no trouble for the prison’s administration and asked officials to pass along two items to his wife in Yekaterinburg: his private diary and a book about Communism. The note, Baza reported, ends with the words: “Forgive me.”

Meanwhile, another source told Life News that no note was discovered. Martsinkevich’s lawyer told Life News that any claims that his client killed himself need to be verified.

Thirty-six years old, Martsinkevich was infamous for baiting suspected pedophiles and drug dealers into video-recorded attacks that he then shared online to humiliate them. In December 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison after an attack against one supposed drug dealer resulted in the man’s death. Martsinkevich would have been eligible for early parole as soon as next year.