Gonzalo Lira, Who Claimed Ukraine Tortured Him, Confirmed Dead by State Department
The US State Department has confirmed the death of journalist Gonzalo Lira, who was arrested in Ukraine, which claimed that he “publicly justified” Russia’s invasion.
According to journalist Breanna Morello, the State Department ‘confirmed the death of U.S. citizen Gonzalo Lira in Ukraine.”
After I asked the State Department to revise this statement on Gonzalo Lira, they declined.
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) January 15, 2024
They have since changed their minds.
Here’s what a State Department spokesman said:
“•We can confirm the death of U.S. citizen Gonzalo Lira in Ukraine.
•We offer our sincerest… https://t.co/B3ggFq5zR7
During Lira’s first stint in Ukrainian prison, he claimed that he was tortured, explaining that “two thugs held my head and used a toothpick to scratch the whites of my left eye, while asking me if I could still read if I had just one.”
He was re-arrested while making a run for the Hungarian border. More recently, he wrote in a letter to family that: “I have had double pneumonia (both lungs) as well as pneumothorax and a very severe case of edema (swelling of the body). All this started in mid-October, but was ignored by the prison.”
“Gonzalo Lira, Sr. says his son has died at 55 in a Ukrainian prison, where he was being held for the crime of criticizing the Zelensky and Biden governments,” wrote Tucker Carlson on X. “Gonzalo Lira was an American citizen, but the Biden administration clearly supported his imprisonment and torture.”
Gonzalo Lira, Sr. says his son has died at 55 in a Ukrainian prison, where he was being held for the crime of criticizing the Zelensky and Biden governments. Gonzalo Lira was an American citizen, but the Biden administration clearly supported his imprisonment and torture. Several… https://t.co/F0nOG9qGvv
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 12, 2024
In May, Lira was arrested by Ukrainian authorities because he “publicly justified” the Russian invasion.
The statement from Kiev said that Lira “has the citizenship of one of the countries of Latin America” but omitted that he is also California-born U.S. citizen, as ZeroHedge contributor Space Worm reported at the time.
Gonzalo’s final video before attempting to legally cross the border — there is some irony in that, speaks to the type of man he was. pic.twitter.com/T6rXLnpsxV
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) January 12, 2024
Following his release, Lira said he was tortured in a Ukrainian prison, explaining that “two thugs held my head and used a toothpick to scratch the whites of my left eye, while asking me if I could still read if I had just one.” Lira informed followers that he was making a mad-dash via motorcycle towards the Hungarian border:
Right now, I'm about to try to get out of Ukraine, and seek political asylum in Hungary.
— Gonzalo Lira (@GonzaloLira1968) July 31, 2023
Either I'll cross the border and make it to safety, or I'll be disappeared by the Kiev regime.
This is what's happened to me over the past three months.
1/25
According to journalist Alex Rubernstein, Lira said that he had double pneumonia (both lungs), which was ignored by the Ukrainian prison holding him.
“I have had double pneumonia (both lungs) as well as pneumothorax and a very severe case of edema (swelling of the body). All this started in mid-October, but was ignored by the prison. They only admitted I had pneumonia at a Dec. 22 hearing,” reads the letter. “I am about to have a procedure to reduce the edema pressure in my lungs, which is causing me extreme shortness of breath, to the point of passing out after minimal activity, or even just talking for 2 minutes.”
In response to Lira’s reported death, his father allegedly wrote: “I cannot accept the way my son has died. He was tortured, extorted, incommunicado for 8 months and 11 days and the US Embassy did nothing to help my son. The responsibility of this tragedy is the dictator Zelensky with the concurrence of a senile American President, Joe Biden.”
BREAKING: It is with great sadness I must announce that Gonzalo Lira @GonzaloLira1968, passed away in a hospital according to his father, who has been fighting to get his son much-needed medical attention for the past weeks.
— Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) January 12, 2024
Here is a hand-written note from Gonzalo which I… pic.twitter.com/jY8Mh0xQV3
