Russian Antiwar Activist Dies in Prison After Claiming He Had Been Tortured

A Russian activist has died in prison days after describing being tortured and expressing fear for his life, according to his lawyer, in what is believed to be the first known death in custody of a Russian opponent of the war in Ukraine.

Anatoly Berezikov, 40, died about a month after he was detained by the police in his home in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and charged with misdemeanors, which he denied. A local human rights activist said Mr. Berezikov told her in his last court appearance that he put up posters around the city promoting the antiwar initiative called “I Want to Live,” which helps Russian servicemen in Ukraine to surrender, and that it had made him a target.

The Rostov region police told local news media that Mr. Berezikov was found without signs of life in his cell on Wednesday, an account that tried to portray his death as a suicide. The police declined to provide additional details when contacted by The New York Times, and no other official has commented on Mr. Berezikov’s death.

Mr. Berezikov is believed to be the first person in Russia to die in police custody after being jailed for opposing the invasion of Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Russians have been detained since the start of the war under draconian laws that criminalize dissent, but most were released soon after.