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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.