Igor Girkin, who was arrested, led pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. He is known for shooting down the Malaysia Airlines plane.
Vilma Romsi,
Roni Kuronen
An ultra-nationalist war blogger Igor Girkin was brought to court in Moscow on Friday evening. The matter is reported, among other things, by an independent Russian news website Mediazona.
Independent Russian news media Medusa says that Girkin was arrested at his home on Friday around noon. According to initial information, the arrest was made based on a tip from a former employee of the Wagner mercenary company.
At the courthouse, Girkin was charged with inciting extremism. The charges are apparently related to two posts that Girkin had published on his Telegram channel in May 2022 and March 25 this year.
In the writings, Girkin had, among other things, expressed his opinion on the problems concerning the Crimean peninsula and stated that not all Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine had been paid.
Girkin contradicted his lawyer Aleksandr Molokhov through having committed a crime.
He asked the court for permission to await the upcoming trial under house arrest, citing his chest pains that require medication. However, the judge ordered that Girkin remain in custody until at least September 18.
If Girk is found guilty, he can face up to five years in prison.
The former separatist leader barks at Putin
Girkin is a former officer of the Russian security service FSB and led pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. He is also known as Igor Strelkov.
In 2022, a Dutch court sentenced Girkin to life imprisonment in absentia. According to the court, Girkin and two other people were responsible for the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines plane in 2014 and thus the murder of 298 people.
During the war of aggression against Russia, Girkin has become one of the loudest and most influential war bloggers in Russia. His Telegram channel has more than 870,000 followers.
Girkin has been repeatedly criticized by the president Vladimir Putin failures on the Ukrainian war fronts.
Among other things, Girkin has called Putin “a worthless person who managed to throw dust in the eyes of a large part of the population”. Girkin has also said that Russia “cannot stand six more years of this cowardly mediocrity in its leadership”, referring to the next presidential election.
Girkin has until now been considered somewhat untouchable due to his background and connections.
Director of R. Politik, an analysis company that studies Russian politics Tatyana Stanovaya says on Twitterthat the failed rebellion of the mercenary Wagner gave the Russian leadership an opportunity to silence its opponents.
– [Girkin] has crossed all imaginable limits a long time ago, Stanovaja writes.
Sources: Reuters, AP