This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Russian anti-war activist Aleksandr Demidenko, who helped hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in the Belgorod region to return to Ukraine, died in custody last week, his lawyer told his family on April 8.
The 61-year-old activist, who openly protested Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was arrested in October.
He was initially sentenced to 10 days in jail for drinking alcohol in public.
Police later said they found an old grenade and two detonators for a grenade and a mine, all made during World War II, at Demidenko’s house and charged him with illegal weapons possession.
