Mysterious death of an arson suspect in Russian custody raises questions
54-year-old Aleksandr Pierow, accused of setting fire to a military recruitment office in St. Petersburg, suddenly died in the hospital. According to the independent portal Fontanka, he was transported there from the detention centre, already in a state of clinical death. What happened to him remains unknown for now.
According to information provided by "Fontanka", Pierow was taken to the hospital from the detention centre on 10 June in a state of clinical death. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he could not be saved. Doctors pronounced him dead an hour after his admission to the hospital.
A case was opened against the St. Petersburg resident due to an attempted arson of the military recruiting station on Tchaikovsky Street on the evening of 31 July 2023. Pierow tried to drive a car through the gate leading to the building's courtyard at that time.
As noted by "Mediazona," local authorities described the damage caused by the arson as "minor"; the fire covered one square metre and was quickly extinguished.
Aleksandr Pierow was detained at the scene. He told the police that the arson was organised by a man who introduced himself as "FSB employee, Kolesnikow".
Mysterious death in custody in Russia. He was to be released
According to the 54-year-old's account, the men communicated through a messenger. "Kolesnikow" allegedly proposed attacking the military recruitment office, explaining that the building contained documents being sent to Ukraine.
The case, initially treated as an act of arson, was later reclassified as an act of terror. Pierow was taken into custody on 2 August 2023. According to the newspaper Fontanka, a session on cancelling the preventive measure for the accused was scheduled for 13 June.
The Russian newspaper does not provide the exact cause of Pierow's death or the factors that led to his clinical death.
