By Smartencyclopedia Staff*

Igor Girkin, a prominent Russian nationalist who openly criticized President Vladimir Putin and the army’s handling of the war in Ukraine, was arrested on Friday and charged with inciting extremism. The arrest, carried out by his former employer, the FSB state security service, indicates that authorities have grown tired of his dissenting views on Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. This move also suggests a possible crackdown on other outspoken nationalist figures who have been vocal in their opposition to the war effort.

Last month, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary force and another prominent critic of the government’s actions, led an unsuccessful mutiny. While he remains free, he has significantly reduced his public criticism.

The charge brought against Girkin by FSB prosecutors carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, as reported by state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti. The Meshchansky district court in Moscow has remanded Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, who is 52 years old, into investigative custody until September 18.

Girkin, a former FSB officer and battlefield commander, played a pivotal role in Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequently organized pro-Russian militias that took control of parts of eastern Ukraine away from Kyiv’s authority, marking the beginning of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Notably, in 2022, a Dutch court sentenced Girkin in absentia to life imprisonment for his alleged involvement in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, resulting in the tragic loss of 298 passengers and crew.

Source: With Agencies