Poland charges second Georgian man over murder of Russian dissident

The two Georgian suspects are accused of different roles in the killing of Russian dissident Robert Kuzovkov, also known as Semyon Skrepetsky. The distinction matters because criminal cases can assign responsibility both to the person who commits violence and to people who deliberately enable it.

Elnur A. was detained near Warsaw on 18 June and charged with committing the murder. Makhmud A. was detained on 19 October after flying from Georgia. Prosecutors say he took several actions between 1 and 11 June that made the killing easier.

The authorities accuse Makhmud A. of supplying a weapon, transportation, and a mobile phone with an application for monitoring Kuzovkov’s vehicle. Both men have pleaded not guilty. Investigators have not yet revealed who they believe ultimately directed the murder, although Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Russian involvement would amount to state terrorism.

Aiding and abetting is a legal concept for intentional assistance that helps another person commit a crime. The helper may not perform the central violent act, but prosecutors must show that the assistance contributed to the offense. This makes the helper part of the alleged criminal conduct, rather than merely an uninvolved bystander.

In this case, Elnur A. is accused of carrying out Kuzovkov’s murder. Makhmud A. is accused of helping Elnur between 1 and 11 June 2026. Prosecutors say his assistance included providing a weapon, transportation, and a phone application that monitored the victim’s vehicle.

The distinction is about the role each suspect allegedly played, not necessarily the seriousness of the result. Under Polish law, a convicted aider can receive the same punishment as the direct perpetrator. Both men deny the charges, and the ultimate organizer has not been identified publicly.

Makhmud A. is accused of practical assistance that allegedly made the murder easier to carry out. The charge does not say he fired the shots. Instead, it focuses on preparations and support that prosecutors believe connected him to the alleged shooter and the victim’s movements.

A spokeswoman for the district court in Lublin told TVN that Makhmud allegedly provided Elnur A. with a weapon, a means of transportation, and a mobile phone. The phone contained an application that enabled monitoring of Kuzovkov’s vehicle. Prosecutors say these actions occurred between 1 and 11 June 2026.

That alleged support is why Makhmud faces aiding-and-abetting charges, alongside separate charges for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. He was detained by the ABW on 19 October in a car park along the A2 motorway, after arriving from Georgia the previous day.

Polish authorities have charged two Georgian men in connection with Kuzovkov’s killing. Elnur A. is accused of committing the murder itself. Makhmud A. is accused of aiding and abetting it, plus illegally possessing firearms and ammunition. Their alleged roles are separate, but prosecutors connect both cases to the same shooting.

Elnur A. was captured on 18 June in a hostel near Warsaw and charged the next day. He has remained in custody since then. Makhmud A. was detained on 19 October by the Internal Security Agency in a car park beside the A2 motorway, after flying into Poland from Georgia on 18 October.

A court approved three months’ detention for Makhmud. Prosecutors said he might otherwise flee, hide, or obstruct the proceedings. Two other Georgians who travelled with him were not charged in this case; Poland will expel them and impose ten-year re-entry bans.

If convicted, Elnur A. and Makhmud A. could receive prison sentences of between 10 years and life. Elnur faces that range because he is accused of committing the murder. Makhmud faces the same potential range despite allegedly not firing the shots, because Polish law treats serious assistance as potentially equal in punishment.

The legal reasoning is that a person who knowingly supplies the means, transport, or surveillance needed for a killing may contribute directly to its success. Prosecutors say Makhmud provided Elnur with a weapon, transportation, and a phone application that monitored Kuzovkov’s vehicle. He also faces separate weapons charges.

These are allegations, not convictions. Both suspects have pleaded not guilty. Makhmud was placed in three months’ detention while the case proceeds, and prosecutors cited fears that he could flee, hide, or unlawfully obstruct the investigation.

A political assassination is the deliberate killing of a person because the attack is connected to political opposition, influence, or a political cause. It differs from an ordinary criminal killing when the victim’s public activity or political significance appears central to the motive. The article presents this as a possibility, not an established finding.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that “everything points to this being a political assassination” after Kuzovkov was shot five times near his home. Kuzovkov was an artist who published satirical cartoons mocking Vladimir Putin. He had fled Russia in 2021 and reported death threats from supporters of Ramzan Kadyrov, whose leadership he also mocked.

Polish authorities have not revealed who they believe ultimately ordered the killing. Tusk said that confirmed Russian involvement would constitute “state terrorism.” The investigation therefore concerns both the immediate suspects and the possible political force behind the attack.

Hybrid warfare is a campaign that combines different forms of pressure instead of relying only on openly declared military force. States may use sabotage, disinformation, cyberattacks, intimidation, or proxies to weaken opponents while obscuring direct responsibility. The aim can be political influence, disruption, or fear without openly sending national forces.

The article describes Russia’s campaign in Poland as involving sabotage, disinformation, cyberattacks, and airspace violations. It says many on-the-ground tasks have been carried out by “disposable agents” recruited through Telegram and paid in cryptocurrency. In some cases, existing criminal networks have allegedly been used instead.

This approach creates distance between the state and the operation’s visible participants. The article does not establish that Russia ordered Kuzovkov’s killing. Polish authorities have not identified the ultimate force behind it, but Tusk said confirmed Russian involvement would be treated as state terrorism.