Lawyer: cellmates in a Moscow pre-trial detention center forcibly shaved the mohawk on the head of an 18-year-old activist arrested in a “fake” case

Lawyer from the human rights project “OVD-Info” Alan Kachmazov said that inmates in the Moscow pre-trial detention center-7 “Kapotnya” threaten activist Maxim Lypkan and use force against him because of his views.

18-year-old Lypkan, who after the start of the war went out on pickets and held actions against the invasion of Ukraine, was arrested in February because of his interview with Radio Liberty. The activist was accused of spreading “fake news” about the Russian military (clause “e” of Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code).

“The cellmates are threatening that because of his views, he (Lypkan - MZ) could “get into trouble” <…> The cellmates did not stop with verbal threats and forcibly shaved Lypkan’s mohawk on his head,” said Kachmazov.

The lawyer explained the conflict by saying that most of the activist’s cellmates were “criminal-oriented people,” and in arguments with them he said that “stealing is bad” and that “in any case, there should be some kind of state.”