Russian political scientist Alexander Kynev, arrested on drug charges and reportedly beaten so badly his leg was broken in two places, faces transfer to another detention center, lawyer says

Political scientist Alexander Kynev, who was arrested on September 25 in connection with alleged drug trafficking, faces a potential transfer to another detention facility. His lawyer, Mikhail Biryukov, revealed on October 14 that Kynev is set to be moved from the Matrosskaya Tishina pretrial detention center. The reason for the transfer and the destination of the new location remain unclear.

Kynev, a prominent expert on Russian regional politics and elections, was designated as a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities. According to human rights advocates from Slovo Zashchity, Kynev was severely beaten during his arrest, resulting in two fractures in his shinbone. He was subsequently admitted to Matrosskaya Tishina's hospital.

Political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann claimed that Kynev's broken leg was intended to coerce him into confessing to treason, though she did not provide a source for this information. Kynev's defense team has not presented any documents supporting Schulmann's statement.