High-ranking Russian official kills self by falling out of office window

A high-ranking official was found dead near the building of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Karelia on Varkausa Embankment in Petrozavodsk. The official committed suicide, the Investigative Committee said.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 4. The deceased was identified as 56-year-old Artur Pryakhin, the head of the Karelia FAS office.

A Suicide Note Was Found in His Office

The incident happened around noon, when Pryakhin's body was discovered beneath the building's windows. Sources from Karelia News confirmed that he was found without signs of life. He fell from the height of the fifth floor.

A suicide note was found in his office. In the note, he asked not to blame anyone for his death, apologized to his wife, and provided information about the location of his money savings.

The Investigative Committee has already confirmed the identity of the deceased and preliminarily ruled it as a suicide. Law enforcement officials are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Artur Pryakhin's Career in Law Enforcement and Public Service

Artur Pryakhin had been the head of Karelia's FAS office since 2014. Before that, he held high-ranking positions in law enforcement. He also served as the head of the Economic Crimes Department of the Karelia Ministry of Internal Affairs from 2010 to 2011. He later worked as the Director of Security at Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill.

He retired with the rank of police lieutenant colonel and was awarded multiple medals, including "For Distinction in Service" (2nd and 3rd degree), "200 Years of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs," "For Loyalty to Duty," and others. In 2017, he also became Chairman of the Karelian Rugby Federation.

Details

The Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (FAS) (Russian: Федеральная антимонопольная служба России, ФАС России) is the federal-level executive governmental organ that controls the execution of the antitrust law and related areas. The FAS was established by President Vladimir Putin through Decree #314, which was issued on March 9, 2004. The agency was led from its inception in 2004 to 2020 by Igor Artemiev. He has since been replaced in this capacity by Maksim Shaskolsky, the former vice governor of Saint Petersburg.