Pro-war nationalist charged with inciting extremism after tirade against Putin

Igor Girkin, prominent pro-war Russian nationalist was detained in Moscow on Friday (July 22). Girkin has previously accused Russian President Vladimir Putin and army leaders of not conducting the Ukraine war harshly or effectively enough. He now faces charges of inciting extremism.

The move suggests authorities have wearied of his criticism of what they call Russia's "special military operation", and perhaps that of other loud nationalist voices who had appeared to have an exceptional licence to deride the war effort.

The action against Girkin has come weeks after a short-lived mutiny by another outspoken critic, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group chief. Progozhin is still free but now has sharply curtailed his verbal attacks.

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Prosecutors from the Federal Security Service (FSB) security service asked Moscow's Meshchansky district court to remand Girkin in custody on a charge with a maximum sentence of five years in prison, state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti reported.

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Girkin, who is a former battlefield commander is also known as Igor Strelkov. He was involved in Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. He then organised pro-Russian militias who have been instrumental in wresting part of eastern Ukraine out of Kyiv's control.

A Dutch court handed Girkin a life sentence in absentia in 2022 for his alleged role in shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, with the loss of 298 passengers and crew.

Girkin was seen standing almost motionless in a glass cage with arms folded, in footage from the court posted by the popular Telegram channel Shot.

He is regarded by many to be untouchable due to his ties with the authorities. But in recent months, he had become more outspoken in recent months.

Asked at the time if he was naive to think he could launch a political movement without the assent of the Kremlin, he said: "I hope you would not call me a naive person."

Attack on Putin

In one of his tirades on July 18, one of his most outspoken ones, Girkin made a post and peppered Putin with personal insults and urgedhim to transfer power "to someone truly capable and responsible". The post was read by over 760,000 people.

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In a message posted on Girkin's official Telegram account, his wife, Miroslava Reginskaya, said:"Today, at about 11:30 a.m., representatives of the Investigative Committee came to our house. I was not at home. Soon, according to the concierge, they took my husband out by his arms and in an unknown direction."

She further said that friends told her Girkin had been charged with extremism.

"I do not know anything about my husband's whereabouts, he has not contacted me," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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