An open letter in defense of historian and publicist Artem Kirpichenok

We, the undersigned, express our solidarity with Artem Kirpichenok, Ph.D. in History, and stand in defense of his personal and intellectual freedom. Regardless of our differing views on international processes, we are firmly convinced that the persecution of authors and researchers for their scholarly work, publications, and beliefs is absolutely unacceptable. Dr. Kirpichenok is a well-known Russian and Israeli historian who defended his doctoral dissertation at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of historical and publicistic books on Middle Eastern and domestic history, politics, and sociology, including Israel: The Road to Catastrophe and A People's History of Israel.

On August 2, 2026, Dr. Kirpichenok arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport on a flight from Yerevan to resolve personal matters. According to official law enforcement data, he successfully passed border control at 14:00; however, after that, all contact with him was completely lost, and he never reached his destination. It later became known that the researcher was detained and is being held in a detention center of the Israel Security Agency SHABAK (Shin Bet) under conditions of severely restricted communication with his lawyers, while the official charges and his procedural status have not yet been disclosed due to a court-issued gag order on the case ("isur pursum"). We resolutely condemn the persecution and isolation to which Dr. Kirpichenok is being subjected in connection with his research and public activities.

Dr. Kirpichenok is one of the leading Middle East scholars specializing in the political processes and conflicts of the region. His academic bibliography includes 8 books and hundreds of articles in various publications. Currently, he heads the Slavic Studies Department at the Center for Arab-Eurasian Studies (CAES), is a columnist for the leading business newspaper "Vedomosti," the Turkish state media "TRT in Russian," and the federal publication "Kultura." He also serves as a permanent expert for the socio-political portals "Svobodnaya Pressa," "Gazeta Metro," the Azerbaijani resource "Caliber.Az," and the "Ukraina.ru" news agency. Furthermore, he cooperates as an expert with the Center for Applied Research and Programs (PRISP Center), the "STMEGI" media resource, and publishes on scientific, educational, and left-wing platforms such as "Skepsis," "Rabkor," and "Liva." He received his higher education in history and his doctoral degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In his numerous publications, analytical articles, and public speeches, Dr. Kirpichenok consistently analyzed the Middle East crisis, openly criticizing Israel's policy towards the Palestinian population in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the escalation of the conflict with Iran. His texts are always distinguished by a profound knowledge of the material, contain a vast amount of little-known historical data, and generate significant public interest. A. Kirpichenok is known as a committed internationalist, a person of left-wing views, a principled critic of the militaristic policies of the US and Israel, and a defender of genuine Jewish anti-fascist culture and the brotherhood of all peoples. Colleagues and friends know him as a humble, kind person, entirely free of pettiness.

The right to free expression of thought, academic discussion, and independent analysis is of paramount importance during times of deep international crises. Researchers and authors must not become targets of censorship, isolation, political sanctions, or criminal prosecution for the results of their intellectual work. The evaluation of scientific and publicistic works must remain within the field of open public and academic discussion, rather than becoming a pretext for secret arrests by state security agencies.

We demand an immediate end to the arbitrary actions against Dr. Artem Kirpichenok, the lifting of the information blockade on his case, the granting of unhindered access to his lawyers, and the release of the historian from custody.