An 18-year-old Moscow anti-war activist arrested last week for giving an interview to RFE/RL’s Russian Service, has been threatened and mistreated, his lawyer says. Maksim Lypkan's lawyer, Alan Kachmazov, says cellmates forcibly shaved his client’s head, leaving a Mohawk strip on it, and threatened to rape him. The forced hairstyle resembles a rooster's head, while in the post-Soviet criminal world Roosters (Petukhi) are considered to be the lowest caste of inmates, who constantly face sexual abuse and other types of humiliation. Lypkan is charged with distributing false information about Russian armed forces involved in Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Russian Anti-War Teen Jailed For Interview With RFE/RL Mistreated, Threatened, Lawyer Says
Moscow teenager Maksim Lypkan