Three arrests and two shoots

The story of anarchist Lev Skoryakin, who was abducted and tortured, but he could still get out

On January 25, 2024, Doxa was recognized as an “unwanted organization”.

If you are in Russia or plan to return to it, you can not replace our materials on social networks, refer to them and publish quotes.

Read more about what is possible and impossible, read in the cards .

Lev Skoryakin is now 24 years old. He became interested in politics at the age of 17 and soon joined the socialist organization “ Left Front The organization was founded in 2008 by Sergey and Anastasia Udaltsov. Until 2014, the Left Front periodically participated in opposition actions, but after the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in the southeast of Ukraine, the organization took the position of supporting the actions of the Kremlin. ". True, he was quickly disappointed in it and was excluded. After that, he already joined the “ left block Association of the left activisto: K. In 2015, it arose as an alternative to the older left organizations that took a position loyal to the authorities after the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in the southeast of Ukraine. The Left Bloc organized rallies and promotions. In November 2023, the association announced the cessation of activities against the background of strengthening repressions. "And participated in almost all of his shares. The anarchist was repeatedly detained, and in January 2021 they arrested for 30 days for participation in the action after the detention of Alexei Navalny.

In December 2021, a criminal case was opened against Leo Skoryakin, since then he was sent three times to a pre -trial detention center (and not only in Russia), he was kidnapped and tortured. However, in March of this year, Lev still managed to leave for Germany. Ivan Astashin talked with him and recreated the chronology of his salvation.

• Author

  

  Author

  Ivan Astashin

• Editor

  Editor

  Author in tears

• Illustrator

  Illustrator

  Ira Grebenshchikova

• Publication

  April 5, 2024

Chekist's Day and the first escape from Russia

On December 20, 2021, two Left Bloc activists were deployed in front of the FSB department in the south-west of Moscow Banner: “Happy Chkista Day!” This was on the "Day of the Security Economic Authority of the Russian Federation", and the action became a gesture of solidarity with the politicalnic victims of the FSB.

Three days later, the security forces detained the participants of the Left Bloc Umar Bolurov, Ruslan Abasov and Lev Skoryakin. Although Skoryakin himself did not participate in the action, he was accused of “ordering” his comrades to deploy the banner: “As if the“ left block ”is not a team of interests, but a serious organization where there are bosses and subordinates,” Skoryakin is indignant, recalling the detention.

The adults of Abasov and Skoryakin were sent to a pre-trial detention center, and 16-year-old Umar Bolurov was released and transferred to the status of a witness for testing against others. “He bought freedom,” Lev argues. - This is not our business. The guy made his own choice. God, or who is up there, he is a judge. ”

A criminal case under the article “Hooliganism” was opened against Skoryakin and Abasov, they threatened to see him up to seven years of imprisonment. A formal reason for the persecution was Faer, which activists allegedly threw the FSB for the fabric during the action. At first they were sent to a pre-trial detention center, but six months later, in July 2022, they suddenly released and appointed a ban on certain actions: they could not travel beyond the Moscow Region, as well as communicate with each other and with the witness: Nitsa in the case.

Skoryakin did not immediately decide to escape from Russia at once and for several months he regularly went to court: he did not want to leave. However, when his accomplice Abasov left Russia, Skoryakin decided that now he could “lower all the dogs” on him. Even during the detention, the FSB officers took a passport from Skoryakin, so there were few options for leaving. Lev chose Kyrgyzstan and already began to draw up documents there to travel to the European Union: "Alas, he missed a little with the country."

"Young man, let's go"

In anticipation of documents, Skoryakin lived in Bishkek and for security left the house only in the early morning or evening. However, on June 9, 2023, Leo was late and went out only at ten in the morning - for groceries. He did not reach the store. “A policeman ran up to me,” says Skoryakin, “grabbed my hand, said:“ Young man, one minute, I need to check you. Can I do your documents? ” He grabbed my passport, which I had with me, and after some time said: "Let's go."

At first, Leo thought that this was a mistake, but then he realized that he was put on an interstate wanted list . He later found out that this happened back in March, but all this time the Kyrgyz police did not bother him. In June, cameras connected to the person recognition system earned in Bishkek. Then, photos of people wanted at the request of the Russian security forces, including Leo, were uploaded to the system.

“I was thinking of escaping,” Lev shares, “but a couple of weeks before, I greatly broke my knee. I realized that I would not run away stupidly. I tried to agree, and, by the way, it almost happened, but another operas intervened and said that it was too late: they told Russia that I was detained in Bishkek 48 hours before the application of sanctions. ”

We talk about Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, protests and repression. We believe that now, when dozens of media have closed or ceased to cover the war, access to independent information is more important than ever.

Draw up a one -time or monthly donation.

After the detention of the lion, he was sent to the local investigative insulator. Previously, Skoryakin was already sitting in the Moscow pre -trial detention center and could compare the conditions: “From the pluses [pre -trial detention center in Bishkek] - from the regime there is only a morning check. Longitudinal The duty officer of the pre -trial detention center, who is checking the cameras. He enters the hut, greets everyone, asks how we are doing, and leaves almost immediately. Well, the shmon every week. But they are informed about him in advance. ” Of the minuses - food: "There is generally impossible to beamless balance."

In the pre -trial detention center of Bishkek Foreign: Ki are sitting together, regardless of where they started the case: “Therefore, the contingent is quite colorful. Basically, they communicated with the help of English, well, the presence of those who understood the languages ​​of Central Asia and the Russian language greatly facilitated life. ”

Leo recalls that that arrest was the only one when he believed in an early liberation: "There was a minute of despair too, but it did not last long." Indeed, three months later, thanks to the actions of the human rights activist: C and the Leo of the Prosecutor General of Kyrgyzstan refused his extradition, and the anarchist was released.

Abduction, nasvay and issuance of Russia

The Leo did not advertise his liberation so as not to attract the attention of the Russian security forces. He was waiting for the issuance of a travel document-German Erzatz-Passport A travel document, temporarily replacing a passport, which in exceptional cases of Germany’s authorities can issue to foreigners. Such cases, among other things, include political persecution. . “But at the beginning of October [2023], our great Sun Putin came to Kyrgyzstan, and the local security forces again paid attention to me,” says Skoryakin. On October 12, 2023, at the exit from the hostel of the activist and his friend was stopped by the GKNBSHNIK Employee of the State National Security Committee of Kyrgyzstan. . While he was checking the documents, a car drove up and a lion and a comrade was twisted, put him in it and taken to the GKNB office State Committee of National Security of Kyrgyzstan. . As the security forces were calculated, Leo still does not know: he used the “left” SIM card, and IMEI The unique identification number of the phone allows, inter alia, to set the location of the device. His phone could not know.

The reason for the detention was not explained to them: “At first they carried some nonsense about the prevention of all Russians in the vicinity. It looked doubtful, since there were other Russians in the hostel, but they were not touched. ” Already in the office, the security officer of a higher rank told Leo that orientation had come to him:

Allegedly, I was going to disrupt Putin’s summit or somehow impede its holding. It sounded comical

However, this time, Leo managed to get out of the hands of the security forces. “My friend and I, showing remarkable abilities in diplomacy, somehow managed to agree to be released. But at the same time I had to give all the documents that we had with us. As the security forces told us, the documents will be given when Putin flies to Russia. Like, we are a threat to the summit and strategic partnership of Russia and Kyrgyzstan, so we need to sit quietly. ”

For several days, he and his comrade were sitting in a hostel forlessly and waited for the documents to be given to them: “We remained to live at the same address, because we began to threaten that if we leave, we would be placed back [in jail]. Like we should not leave the connection, but they will call us back. ” The summit is over, Putin flew away, but no one called.

By that time, the Leo had already received a German Ersatz passport, but could not fly away without other documents. Human rights: TSY advised Skoryakin to change geolocation, but he did not have time. On October 16, 2023, the police came to him again: “The time is 9:30 pm, and that day I did not have very good health, and I decided to take a nap a little. That was a mistake, very large. About an hour and a half later, I woke up from the fact that there was a conversation in the room. I open my eyes, I see: my neighbor is talking with a crowd of security forces in civilian clothes. They showed some crusts, but I did not really make out the consumption of where they were. ”

The security forces promised to return the documents to the activist, but demanded that he go with them. Under pressure, Skoryakin had to get into the car: "It immediately became clear that this is an issuance." For several hours of the political officer, they rolled the bishkek without explanation: “I asked them directly:“ Well, do you give me out or how? Or maybe you will let me go on all four sides now, and I will calmly go home? ” As a result, they stopped at the department, some horseradish came up and handed my passport to the security forces. Then they said, they say, I'm sorry, bike In Kyrgyzstan, a respectful appeal to the senior. Literally - the older brother. We give you out. These are just our partners, colleagues from your Russian organization so that I am not very upset, they suggested in return Hamurgger and Nasvay Type of non -smoking tobacco product. . Of course, I did not refuse: after all, the matter is good. I said that all the same, they were angry, and then they also offered shawarma. I replied that this was not enough, but they decided that it was already extortion, and sent to hell. ” At the airport, Skoryakin sat for several hours in a car with security forces. “Somewhere in the region of 8 in the morning I was taken out and right at the departure zone they transferred me to the Russian intelligence services who took me home to Russia-Mother. Neither the inspection, nor passport control - there was nothing. Almost immediately I was put on a plane, where I was sitting in handcuffs surrounded by security forces. I thought in what good weather I was leaving this country. ”

Torture at Moscow Airport

On arrival in Moscow, on October 17, the security forces shot handcuffs from Skoryakin to record the video as he descends along the ladder with free hands - as if he had returned of his own free will. But already in the arrivals zone of Domodedovo Skoryakin, four men were waiting for: one policeman and three FSB officers: “We will call their neutral FSBSHNIK, an evil FSBSHNI and Fucked FSBSHNIK.”

The lion was taken to the room with video surveillance. “The fucking FSBSHNIA explained to me with famous Russian words how he hates me. And I only have one question: how long? Then a neutral FSBSHNI came, asked me for a password from the phone. I said: "Let's somehow another time." The fucked fsbshnik wanted to do something, but neutral reminded him that there was a camera in the room. ”

Then Skoryakin was taken to a room without windows and video surveillance. “The evil Fsbshnik immediately put me to the wall and began to use me as a boxing pear. It hurt. You think only about one thing: when will it stop? Before asking any questions, he first walked his fists several times through my ribs. It hurts, by the way, still That is, at the time of the interview at the end of March 2024. More than five months have passed since the torture. . At some point, he decided that this was not enough, and a couple of times he gave me his chest just above the solar plexus. For 40 seconds, I lost the opportunity to breathe and fell. When he began to breathe again, I asked what the hell is he doing?

He understands that when people are tortured, they are not trying to kill them?

He just sent me fuck and demanded answers. I say: “Will there be any questions?” The question was simple: “Password, bitch!”. I asked: "What a fuck password?" - And immediately got on the head. He beat with his hands and legs. Only he alone, the others just looked, but I did not pay attention to the expressions of their faces. I was hoping only for one thing: that they won’t get on the face. My jaw is fragile, and I'm afraid to lose the remaining teeth.

When I was borne, I decided: “Okay, bitches, I will say a password from the phone, but not from messengers.” Before that, I managed to see the phone screen - 1% charging. I said the password - they entered. And then a miracle happened: the phone was discharged. And around there was not a single person who would have charging from an iPhone. It is impossible to believe it! I am sure that anyone who reads about it will say: “Yes, he will fuck.” But so it was. "

The lion issued a password from the laptop without much regret, because he used it only for computer games: “I directly asked them:“ Are you wanting to play games? Then choose the Civilization 5 A step -by -step strategy in which the player creates and develops his civilization from ancient times to the near future. or hearts of Iron 4 A computer game in the genre of a global strategy that focuses on the events of World War II and the previous period. "Maybe at least in them they would satisfy their imperial ambitions."

“The fucking FSBSHNIK almost every second sent me fucking, swearing a bunch of various expressions. Then I told them: “I won’t say anything while this character stands here.” As a result, the evil FSBSHNIK told the fucking to go to the next room. When he left, a dull interrogation began, sometimes he interrupted threats to continue beating.

I felt disgusting. Everything ached, hurt, and I understood that if I would eat something again. I decided that I would try to drink somehow. In principle, it succeeded, I only spoke to them what can be found on the Internet. He retold those cases when I was detained, and they wrote about this in the media. They asked me about the “Left Bloc” - and I told what is on Wikipedia. ”

Also, the security forces were interested in how Skoryakin managed to leave Russia: “I said that I just found a friend, he put me in a car, and we rolled to the glorious city of Minsk. And from there he was already finging. I did not call any [helping] organizations, but they believed that I would fuck. I said: “I don’t know anyone. You were abducted from the wrong side of the person. There is no horseradish in Kyrgyzstan.”

I was even asked about the " Ark Project for assistance to Russian emigrant: Kam, opposing the war in Ukraine. ”: They say: is it true that they are sponsored by [Mikhail] Khodorkovsky? I replied:“ Who are you asking? I’m still not from this party. ”In total, Lev spent about eight hours in the interrogation room of the airport-from nine in the morning to five in the evening.

In the evening, Skoryakin was taken to the Tagansky police department on the metro: “There I saw the legendary board“ The police are looking for them ”. Ruslan [Abasov] and I hung nearby. The duty officer came up: “Well, did you run for a long time? I would come right away.” The department was more or less normal: they even fed me, although they didn’t give me a call. ” Closer to the night behind Leo, the convoy arrived and anarchist was taken to an already acquaintance In this pre -trial detention center Lev was sitting after a criminal case was brought against him in 2021. He is an insulator in the hood.

Unexpected liberation and the second attempt to escape

Remembering the time in the Moscow pre -trial detention center, Skoryakin says that even then he "took five in front of his eyes." Therefore, when two months after the arrest, the prosecutor requested five years in prison for him, Leo was sure that he had to sit out. “Although the lawyer said that they could be released for a fine if I did not show off and plead guilty, I hardly believed in it.”

However, on December 13, 2023, the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow really appointed Skoryakin a fine and immediately released him from his payment, counting the term conducted under arrest as a punishment: the Anarchist spent a total of a year in the pre -trial detention center of Moscow and Bishkek.

Immediately after the trial, Skoryakin decided to leave the country: “This time I decided not to wait and not think. Sorry, I’d better dump from here fuck. ” Leo was to spend some time again in an unsafe country in order to wait for documents to travel to the European Union.

Although formally this time he was absolutely clean before Russian law, the fear of abduction did not let him go: “I have shood. You never know what. " After three months of waiting, Skoryakin finally, for the second time, received a German Erzat-passport and was able to fly to Germany. The activist says that with the departure and documents he was helped by the Redzhuk and Intransit organization.

I ask Leo whether he is afraid that he can be abducted again. He replies: “Let's just say, the concern is small. Nevertheless, I doubt that they can steal me from here. At least there were no precedents yet. There were cases of attacks. However, in my homeland, I’m not a figure of such a scale to send a killer to me. On the other hand, it seems, and not of such a scale, to brazenly abduct from another country? ”

In the end, the Leo asks the reader to pass: “If you think to leave Russia, do not leave through Kyrgyzstan, choose other countries for transit. Support those who are lucky less, who are in prisons now. And organizations that help politically persecuted. ”

Other materials

"I am an anarchist, and my views have not changed over the years"

Five years of persecution, three arrests, two sentences - DOXA talked with Anastasia Safonova, a person involved in the case of the Banner of the FSB - the main terrorist

Ivan Astashin

"The attitude towards Ukrainians in prison is different than the rest of the prisoners"

In Russian pre -trial detention centers, they try to Ukrainian prisoners. Doxa publishes evidence

Ivan Astashin

There is no sewage in every 29th school of Russia

And this is only part of the problem. We figure out why in Russian schools bad toilets and can this be fixed?

Current

My heart hurts: it can be a heart attack or stroke?

Here's what you need to know about these attacks to save life

August

The Black Sea Fleet left Crimea, but continues to lose ships

Ten years ago, Russia annexed Crimea to maintain control of Sevastopol. What came of it?

Gavrilo principle