The Kremlin’s Human Rights Council has appealed to the United Nations over the case of Russian historian Artyom Kirpichonok, who according to people close to him disappeared in Israel earlier this month.
According to the council’s appeal, Kirpichonok was detained by Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency shortly after landing at Ben Gurion Airport.
Artyom Kirpichonok
The council called on the UN to approach Israeli authorities and demand an explanation for the grounds of his detention, as well as immediate access to a lawyer and qualified medical care. It also requested information about the conditions in which he is being held and access to investigative materials.
The Russian body further asked the UN to declare the detention “arbitrary” unless Israel provides what it described as a “satisfactory response.”
Days before the formal appeal, activists in Russia launched a campaign on behalf of Kirpichonok, who has frequently criticized Israel. Several petitions published over the past week called on Russian authorities to become more involved in efforts to determine his whereabouts and legal status.
According to the activists, the reasons for his detention and his procedural status have not been made public, no formal charges have been filed and case materials have not been disclosed.
In the Russian appeal, quoted by official channels in the country, the council said Kirpichonok had been detained by the Shin Bet and noted that arrests by the agency are “usually connected to suspicions of crimes against state security.”
“This fact gives reason to believe that the detention stems from his political views,” the appeal said. “Such a step constitutes a gross violation of the right to freedom of expression,” citing Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
There has been no public response from Israeli authorities to the claims.
According to details published in Russia, Kirpichonok arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on a flight from Yerevan, Armenia, on August 2. Attempts by relatives and acquaintances to contact him afterward were unsuccessful.
Three days after he was reported missing, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov told the state-run TASS news agency that “Russian diplomats are monitoring the situation.” Russia made no further official statements on the case until the Human Rights Council’s appeal.
Kirpichonok, 51, was born in St. Petersburg and immigrated to Israel in the 1990s. He studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and returned to live in Russia about 15 years after moving to Israel.
Over the years he adopted a highly critical position toward Israel, writing extensively against the country and against Zionism.