He announced it was the police
The Human Rights Council reported the assault on Igor Kalyapin through its Telegram channel, conveying that staff would monitor the situation and wishing their colleagues a swift recovery.
On Wednesday evening in the Nizhny Novgorod region, an unidentified assailant attacked HRC member Igor Kalyapin. The assailant attempted to cut his face and strangulate him. Kalyapin managed to contact the authorities, and the attacker was taken into custody. Investigative measures were said to be underway according to the HRC statement.
Following the incident, the activist was hospitalized with suspected concussion. Kalyapin later spoke to a Russian news agency, describing that the attacker had represented himself as a police officer and claimed an obligation to kill him.
Kalyapin explained that a man introducing himself as a police officer from Nizhny Novgorod appeared far from the city, in a remote village where his presence there remained unexplained. The activist noted that they were celebrating a birthday, there was little alcohol consumed, and suddenly the man attacked. The assailant did not provide any rationale and pressed on with the assault for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, attempting to pierce the throat with a shard of glass.
Kalyapin said he did not feel well but did not believe the situation was utterly catastrophic. He described being nauseated and dizzy, with a possible broken nose and a concussion. He suggested that the attacker might have belonged to individuals who had treated him rudely in the past.
He observed that after giving an interview to a popular blogger, members of the public approached with offers of help and support. He acknowledged that hostile individuals also existed. The police were investigating whether the assailant held any official status, and Kalyapin suggested the assailant may have been intoxicated at the time of the incident.
According to Kalyapin, a group of law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, the attacker was detained, and the investigation continued.
Face Distorted
In a statement to socialbites.ca, Eva Merkacheva, a human rights activist and journalist, suggested that Kalyapin had invited the aggressor to his home after a counterfeit police request to “speak.” Merkacheva described Kalyapin as spending much of his time at his small residence in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where a neighbor who works in law enforcement lived. She claimed that the assailant’s appearance at Kalyapin’s home followed a conversation during which Kalyapin, who identified himself as the head of the criminal investigation department of the local Internal Affairs Directorate, believed the other party might be a legitimate police officer. The encounter reportedly occurred at Kalyapin’s residence, where the assailant allegedly demanded entry, and a struggle ensued, culminating in broken glass and a violent breach of safety. Merkacheva stressed that the motives behind the attack were unclear but hinted that the assailant could have been prompted by opposition to Kalyapin’s anti-torture advocacy.
Merkacheva noted that some individuals who oppose Kalyapin’s human rights activities may have been involved, remarking on the presence of marginalized people who disagree with his harsh assessments of certain agents. She added that Kalyapin and colleagues had often highlighted torture concerns and pursued inquiries with the Investigative Committee, while acknowledging that it is difficult to determine the attacker’s identity or motives with certainty. She suggested the attacker might belong to a fringe segment of society rather than being a typical offender.
Reports from MK indicated that Kalyapin sought refuge at a safe location during the assault and was able to call for help. The attacker was detained, and authorities later stated that the person did not trigger the armed response and that the underlying reasons for the act remained unknown. Kalyapin remained hospitalized with his condition described as serious but not life-threatening, with a long period of treatment anticipated.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs later announced that investigators had established the basic circumstances of the confrontation in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The police indicated that the case would advance to forensic medical examination to determine the extent of the injuries, after which the events would be assigned a legal character. Officials specified that the conflict originated locally and was not connected to the participant’s official or public duties.