Ex-Russian mayor and Kremlin critic detained
Russian law enforcement has taken into custody opposition politician Evgeny Roizman, who is reportedly suspected of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces on his YouTube channel.
The news broke early Wednesday morning as police arrived at Roizman’s apartment in Ekaterinburg, the Urals city where he served as mayor from 2013 to 2018.
The politician spoke to journalists from the window, confirming his status as a detainee and explaining the accusations against him. He said he has been accused of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces and indicated that the investigation against him was initiated “in Moscow” rather than by the local authorities.
Journalists outside Roizman’s home reported that they witnessed the seizure of his personal items, such as computer equipment.
The office of his foundation was targeted as well, its head confirmed to local media.
According to a source cited by TASS, Roizman is being investigated over a video published on his YouTube channel. The politician claimed the case against him was “over one phrase about Ukraine.”
Roizman is an outspoken critic of the Russian government, and his opposition activities have gotten him in trouble with the law in the past. He has been fined on numerous occasions for violating regulations regarding public gatherings in the country.
This year, after publicly discrediting the military became a fineable offense in Russia, a court in Ekaterinburg found Roizman in violation on several occasions. He has accumulated around $2,500 in fines, according to media reports.
A repeat violation of this kind may be considered a criminal offense under Russian law.
Roizman came to prominence as a public figure in the early 2000s, thanks to his hardline campaign against drug crime in his city. Before serving as mayor of Ekaterinburg, he was a lawmaker in the Russian State Duma.
