In Moscow, a court sentenced prominent Russian nationalist Igor Girkin to four years in a penal colony on Thursday after he was convicted of inciting extremism. Girkin, who denied the charge, has publicly criticized President Vladimir Putin and top military officials for their handling of the Ukraine war and has entertained the idea of running against Putin in a future presidential election.
This high-profile case has sparked interest in how far the Kremlin will tolerate criticism of its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Last year, Girkin was placed in custody after forming the “Club of Angry Patriots” to address what he saw as the threat of systemic turmoil resulting from military failures in Ukraine and power struggles among the elite to succeed Putin.
One of his most vocal critiques came in a post on his official Telegram channel, which has over 760,000 followers, where he directed personal insults at Putin and urged him to pass power “to someone truly capable and responsible”.
A former officer for Russia’s FSB security service and a battlefield commander also known as Igor Strelkov, Girkin played a role in Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the organization of pro-Russian militias that took control of part of eastern Ukraine, triggering Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
In 2022, a Dutch court sentenced him to life in absentia for his alleged involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, which resulted in the deaths of 298 passengers and crew. Girkin denied any wrongdoing.
Reported by Reuters and written by Andrew Osborn, the case highlights the tension between the Kremlin and those who openly criticize its handling of the war in Ukraine and its leadership under Putin.
