Russian nationalist Maxim Tesak found dead in detention centre

Maxim Martsinkevich, a well-known Russian nationalist and ideologist of informal international public movement "Restruct" committed suicide in Chelyabinsk while being sent to Moscow. Martsinkevich, also known as Tesak (translates into English as 'hatchet') was tried three times for various crimes.

According to Tesak's defenders, he was forced to confess to several grave crimes. The Investigative Committee is now conducting a pre-investigation check into the fact of his suicide. Based on the results of the preliminary investigation, a decision will be made whether to initiate a criminal case in connection with his death or not.

According to preliminary information, Tesak committed suicide in one of the cells of pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Chelyabinsk. Inmates found his body in the morning. A note was left nearby, in which he said goodbye to his friends and wife. According to preliminary data, he died of blood loss - razor blades were found next to the body.

From Chelyabinsk, Maxim Martsinkevich was supposed to be sent by escort to Moscow.

Tesak was supposed to serve his last ten-year term in the republic of Karelia. He was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm, robbery, banditism, hooliganism and other crimes. Tesak and his associates had attacked drug dealers, forcing them to confess to their crimes on video.

Lawyers doubt Tesak committed suicide

The lawyers who defended Tesak at different times do not believe that he could have died voluntarily. They said that they would seek full investigation be conducted into his death. At the same time, one of the lawyers recalled that Maksim Martsinkevich had slashed his wrists before.
However, according to the lawyer, he did it in protest.

Lawyer Alexei Mikhalchik said that Russian nationalist Maksim Martsinkevich, known as Tesak, has been tortured for the past three months.

According to Mikhalchik, on September 9, a lawyer visited Martsinkevich in the city of Novosibirsk. Tesak told him that he had been tortured in an effort to force him to confess to a number of murders committed in Moscow during the 1990s. Mikhalchik said that he had "very serious doubts" that Martsinkevich could take his own life.

Internet users found a post that Martsinkevich left on his Vkontakte page. In the post, dated from  2014, Tesak wrote that he was soon going to serve five-year-sentence for homophobia. He also wrote that he had no intention to commit suicide.

"If I suddenly slit my wrists, hang myself or die of heart failure, it would mean that they helped me. I am absolutely healthy and I have no suicidal thoughts. And if I suddenly and "voluntarily" decide to testify or confess in something, it would mean that torture was never abolished in Russia," he wrote.