Weeks after Alexei Navalny was murdered in a Siberian prison, another anti-Putin Russian activist has died in a Russian jail. According to the Daily Beast, Alexander Demidenko died in pre-trial detention on April 5th after he was taken back into custody by the federal police, his lawyer was informed.
In October, Demidenko had been detained by Chechen National Guardsmen along the Ukrainian border as he helped native Ukrainians leave Russia. Demidenko operated an underground outfit helping return Ukrainians or help others get out of Russia, reportedly helping hundreds to escape. After ten days in jail, he was released on a type of parole.
He received regular harassment, including phone calls telling him not to leave the country or things would get worse for him and his family–harassment his son says led his father to become paranoid and suicidal. The FSB raided his home again on November 7th and took him into custody, claiming to have found a hand grenade in the house, a claim his son doubts. After being in custody for nearly six months, authorities notified his lawyer that he died in custody. No other explanation is known.