Russian pianist dies in jail after criticizing Moscow's action in Ukraine

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian piano player has died in jail while awaiting trial on charges linked to his criticism of Moscow's military action in Ukraine, news reports said Tuesday.

Mediazona, an independent Russian news outlet, reported that pianist Pavel Kushnir died on July 28 in a jail in Birobidzhan, a city in fareastern Russia near the border with China. He was 39.

It quoted his mother, Irina Levina, as saying that an investigator told her that Kushnir died while being on a hunger strike. Russian authorities haven't issued any statements on Kushnir's death.

Kushnir was in custody after his arrest in May on charges related to his criticism of the Kremlin and its action in Ukraine on his YouTube channel.

After graduating from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Kushnir performed as a soloist at philharmonics in Kursk and Kurgan before joining Birobidzhan's philharmonic last year.

The Kremlin’s crackdown against opposition activists, independent journalists and government critics has intensified since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Hundreds have faced criminal charges over protests and remarks condemning Moscow's action in Ukraine, and thousands have been fined or briefly jailed.