A ‘brave, but mad’ Russian activist

Sokhorev showing his mobile phone with the photo of his friend Berezikov in the village of Davydkovo, outside Moscow. — AFP

DURING his trial, Anatoly Berezikov repeatedly said he was afraid of “disappearing”. Two weeks later, on June 14, he was found dead in his cell in southwest Russia.

Berezikov is the first known critic of the Ukraine conflict to have died in custody since the Kremlin launched large-scale hostilities in February 2022.