**Lawyer Alleges Mistreatment of Russian-Israeli Historian in Shin Bet Custody**
**PETAH TIKVA, Israel** — Artyom Kirpichenok, a 51-year-old Russian-Israeli historian, is being held in a Shin Bet detention facility in Petah Tikva, where his legal counsel alleges he has been subjected to harsh interrogation tactics.
Kirpichenok, a Middle East expert and vocal critic of Israeli government policy, disappeared on August 2 shortly after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport from Yerevan. His whereabouts remained undisclosed for nearly three weeks until his supporters confirmed his location.
Following repeated requests for access, Kirpichenok’s lawyer, Inna Lebedinskaya-Katz, was permitted a one-hour meeting with him on Sunday. According to Nika Dubrovsky, an artist and activist campaigning for Kirpichenok’s release, the lawyer reported that her client has been subjected to interrogation sessions lasting between 18 and 24 hours.
The allegations include claims of sleep deprivation, prolonged handcuffing, and being forced to sit on an iron stool fixed to the floor while multiple interrogators apply pressure. Dubrovsky stated that Kirpichenok has also been threatened with life imprisonment. While she noted that he remains in “tolerable physical condition,” she described him as “exhausted, tormented and deeply depressed.”
According to the defense, Kirpichenok is being held in an underground facility with lights kept on at all times and is currently denied access to books or writing materials. A gag order remains in effect, and the defense has not yet received case files or formal details regarding the accusations against him.
The allegations of mistreatment have not been independently verified. While international human rights organizations have previously documented reports of sleep deprivation and restrictive restraint methods during Shin Bet interrogations, the Israeli Supreme Court has issued rulings against the use of prolonged sleep deprivation as an interrogation tool.
Kirpichenok, who served in the Israel Defense Forces after moving to the country in the 1990s, later returned to Russia and became a critic of Israeli policies, particularly regarding Iran and the Palestinian territories. He is the author of *Israel: The Road to Catastrophe*, in which he characterizes Israel as a “colonial project.”
His recent professional activities included work with media and civic organizations in Turkey and Iran, and he had traveled to Iran frequently. While Israeli citizens are generally prohibited from traveling to countries considered hostile, supporters suggest these trips are not the primary focus of the current investigation.
The Russian government has stated it is monitoring the case and has sought information from Israeli authorities. Israeli officials have not yet publicly disclosed any charges against Kirpichenok.
Article and image source: israelherald.com
