Mystery over murder of top Russian space agency official found knifed to death in prison cell

Vladimir Evdokimov, 56, was being held on charges of embezzlement when he was found bloodied and stabbed on the floor of his cell

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ByScarlet Howes

• 21:01, 20 MAR 2017
• Updated22:17, 20 MAR 2017

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(Photo: @roscosmos/Twitter)

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Russian authorities are investigating the murder of a top space agency official who was found knifed to death in his prison cell while awaiting trial.
Vladimir Evdokimov, 56, was being held on charges of embezzlement when he was found bloodied and stabbed on the floor of his cell at a pre-trial detention centre in Moscow on Saturday.
Evdokimov was found with two stab wounds on his chest and one on his neck, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
His death was confirmed in a brief statement on space agency Roscosmos' - where Evdokimov served as executive director - Twitter account.
In December last year, Evdokimov was jailed on charges of embezzling 200 million rubles ($3.1 million) from the MiG aerospace corporation, an indictment he strongly denied.

Russia has been investing in its space programme again (Photo: Getty)

Russia's Soyuz rocket lifts off from Baikonur, taking 3-man crew to ISS (Photo: Barcroft)

Eleven people in Evdokimov’s cell have already been questioned, and investigators are now trying to identify a suspect, the Investigative Committee says.
The Prosecutor General’s office as well as the Federal Penitentiary Service, Russia’s major prison authority, will also launch separate inquiries into the safety of prisoners and security standards at the detention center where Evdokimov was serving his pre-trial term.
The case has shocked Russians due to Evdokimov’s high-profile role and the strange circumstances of his death, with speculation that it could have been a premeditated killing.

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Journalist Eva Merkacheva said it was unlikely the executive committed suicide (Photo: TASS)

An unnamed source close to the investigation told Interfax an assassination is considered the most reliable theory so far, as “Evdokimov’s foes feared he could tell their names to the investigation and uncover their criminal schemes.”
At this point, it is considered unlikely the former Roscosmos executive committed suicide, Eva Merkacheva of the Public Observation Committee – a primary non-government body overseeing respect for human rights in prisons – told RIA Novosti.
“His death raises many questions, including whether it was suicide or murder. His relatives say nothing to indicate he was thinking of committing suicide prior to the death. Quite the opposite, he was determined to win the trial and was making plans. And then he dies in a prison cell, which is strange,” Merkacheva said.
She said Evdokimov was transferred from another cell last month, but added the prison administration refused to elaborate on the issue.
Speaking to Kommersant daily, Evdokimov’s former colleagues, including Roscosmos CEO Igor Komarov, described him as a highly-skilled professional who made a remarkable contribution to the growth of Russia’s space industry.