A Moscow court sentenced former Ukrainian separatist leader Igor Girkin to four years in prison for extremism.
Girkin, also known as Strelkov, was a prominent figure in the Russian-backed separatist movement in Ukraine’s Donetsk region in 2014.
He was convicted in absentia in the Netherlands for his role in the downing of a Malaysian passenger airliner.
Today Igor Girkin/Strelkov was sent to prison. Not for shooting down MH17 & killing 298 people on board. A Moscow court sent him to a penal colony for 4 years on extremism charges. We saw him in court. Thanks to @AntonChicherov @BenTavener pic.twitter.com/rlCWNDqLOB
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) January 25, 2024
Girkin later became a nationalist commentator and activist, criticizing Russian authorities and calling Putin a “nonentity.”
His arrest and conviction highlight the Russian government’s sensitivity to criticism and opposition, especially after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which led to the passage of laws criminalizing statements that discredit the Russian military.
Two protesters calling for Girkin’s release were reportedly detained by police outside the court building.
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