Russia appeals to UN over Israel’s ‘arbitrary’ detention of Russian-Israeli historian

Russia appealed to the United Nations over the weekend to secure the release of a Russian-Israeli historian who Moscow says has been in Shin Bet custody since disappearing upon his arrival in Israel earlier this month.

Artyom Kirpichenok, who lives in Russia and is known for his criticism of Israel, came to Israel on August 4 for a conference but hasn’t been seen since getting off the plane. Family and friends who have tried to contact him have been unsuccessful, according to Hebrew media reports.

According to Russia, Kirpichenok was detained upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport by the Shin Bet security service and taken into custody.

Neither the Shin Bet, nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have responded to requests for comment on Kirpichenok.

Russia’s Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, in a letter to the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, urgently requested that it compel Israel to explain his disappearance and reported detention, and to allow him access to legal council and medical treatment.

The appeal argued that Kirpichenok’s detention is arbitrary, saying that the reasons for it and his legal status have not been disclosed, that no formal charges have been brought against him, and that the case materials have not been made public. It also said the historian’s access to a lawyer has been restricted and that he is unable to challenge the legality of his detention in court because the grounds for his arrest have been classified.

The appeal stated that the detention was carried out by the Shin Bet security service, “which in Israeli practice is generally associated with suspicions of offenses against state security,” providing grounds to believe that Kirpichenok’s arrest “was motivated by his political views,” which the Council said would constitute “a gross violation of the right to freedom of expression,” citing Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“His state of health is of particular concern: he suffers from hypertension with a risk of retinal detachment, which requires constant medical monitoring,” the document stated.

The appeal called on the UN to demand an explanation from Israeli authorities for Kirpichenok’s detention, ensure his immediate access to a lawyer and qualified medical care, and provide information about the conditions in which he is being held.

Kirpichenok lived in Israel for more than a decade and has taken a critical tone toward the country, with Haaretz describing him as part of a small left-wing communist faction in Russia that supports the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He reportedly traveled to Iran twice, an extreme rarity for Israeli citizens, and has recently published several articles harshly criticizing Israeli foreign and domestic policy.

One trip to Iran came in 2018, when he published a travel diary. In 2022, he posted online that he had taken a second trip to the Islamic Republic.

He has recently published several articles about Israel, covering subjects such as Israeli apprehension toward Turkey; a comparison between the treatment of Arab Israelis and Apartheid South Africa; and Israelis’ self-perception in the wake of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack. That one was called “The whole world hates us, and we’re proud of it.”