Russian security services arrest Russian pro-war nationalist and Putin critic Igor Girkin
The Russian Meshchansky district court arrested a Russian pro-war nationalist and critic of the Russian authorities Igor Girkin, also known by his nom de guerre Igor Strelkov, on charges of "calls for extremism" until 18 September.
Source: Mediazona
Details: As of now the police van with Strelkov inside has left the court.
The Club of Angry Patriots, founded by Girkin, announced a campaign in defence of the accused.
Supporters of this "club" were urged to go to the Meshchansky police department to support Girkin’s associate Pavel Gubarev, who was detained after the arrest of Girkin himself.
The representative of the FSB at the trial said that a criminal case against Strelkov (Girkin) was opened on 18 July.
The Russian investigator said that Strelkov previously served in a "unit conducting operational-search activities", therefore can easily hide from the authorities. FSB officers petitioned for the arrest of the terrorist.
In court, Girkin claimed that he has "angina pectoris of the second degree", but he did not have time to get a medical certificate to prove it: "I take the necessary drugs every day. I would like to receive a preventive measure in the form of house arrest".
According to the terrorist Girkin, the statement of the investigator about his potential escape abroad is "frankly ridiculous", because he is wanted by Interpol in most countries. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment by The Hague Tribunal.
Следствие просит арестовать Стрелкова по делу о призывах к экстремизму. Его доставили в Мещанский суд Москвыhttps://t.co/b0F0qvsBuu
— Медиазона (@mediazzzona) July 21, 2023
Видео: SHOT pic.twitter.com/FlEUVbOQve
Regarding the accusation of calls for extremism, this most likely concerns Girkin's posts on Telegram dated 25 May 2022.
There he writes about "blatant examples of irresponsibility, very reminiscent of outright sabotage" by the "authorities" of the so-called "Donetsk People’s Republic," which did not provide the families of invaders and collaborators with the promised payments.
He wrote: "Citizens, even an execution would not be punishment enough for this... and not [the execution] of the indignant mobilised fighters!"
Background:
- Igor Girkin is a former FSB officer who took active part in the battles for Sloviansk and in the seizure of power in Donetsk in 2014. He vehemently supports the war, but criticises the military-political leadership. On 1 April 2023, Girkin, together with his associates Pavel Gubarev and Maxim Kalashnikov created the Club of Angry Patriots.
- On 18 July, Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti reported that Girkin’s ally, Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov, was accused of discrediting the Russian army. Kvachkov also actively supports the war in Ukraine, but criticises the current Russian authorities and the leadership of the Ministry of Defence.
- Strelkov called the case against Kvachkov "a mockery of the law, justice and common sense" amid the fact that after the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin, no one was responsible for the Wagner mercenaries’ murder of Russian pilots.
- Strelkov himself was sentenced in absentia by The Hague District Court to life imprisonment. He was found guilty of the crash of the Malaysian Boeing in August 2014. The court said that Igor Girkin and two of his subordinates were "guilty of murder 298 times".
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