A man has died after setting himself on fire in front of a government building in southern Russia, reportedly after being fired from his company.
Dmitry Rudov, 39, was hospitalized with severe burns in the southern Urals republic of Bashkortostan after setting himself on fire outside Ishimbay's City Hall on Monday. Reports say the electrical engineer had written a letter appealing to President Vladimir Putin last month after he was fired from a local Gazprom subsidiary company.
Eyewitnesses reportedly heard Rudov screaming “corruption” while pouring gasoline over himself in front of the government building, the Meduza news website reported.
In his December appeal to Putin, Rudov complained of severe pain, loss of consciousness and an inability to secure disability benefits.
“I hope to survive until your elections without medication,” he wrote in the letter carried by the Pravo.media legal portal.
Regional investigators opened a criminal case on charges of incitement to suicide over information that Rudov was in a legal dispute with his supervisor and had gone through a divorce in 2017, the Bashkortostan investigative committee said in a statement Tuesday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
