Russian authorities open criminal case under law against ‘driving a person to suicide’ over death of jailed activist

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case over the death of activist Anatoly Berezikov, who died in a prison in the country’s Rostov region last week after his lawyer alleged that the prison authorities were torturing him.

The case was filed under the Russian Criminal Code’s article against driving a person to suicide through threats, cruel treatment, or “systematic violation of human dignity.”

According to the investigative order, Berezikov died from “mechanical asphyxiation” on the morning of June 14 in his cell, where he was being held on disorderly conduct charges. The document says that he was in the cell alone, though according to human rights advocates, law enforcement officials previously told his relatives that he shared the cell with other inmates.