Ex-Donbass militia commander Strelkov remanded in custody

A Moscow district court has ordered former Donbass militia commander Igor Strelkov to be remanded in custody until September 18, according to a press release on Friday. The controversial figure has been charged with public calls for extremist activities.

Russian media earlier reported that Strelkov, who is also known by his real name, Igor Girkin, had been detained in Moscow on Friday amid allegations of extremism. Court documents show that he was charged with public calls for extremist activities made on the internet.  

Strelkov is a former soldier-turned-blogger. He emerged into the international spotlight in 2014 when he became the first defense minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), which was then unrecognized.   

The role also made him the prime suspect in the Dutch investigation into the downing of MH17, which crashed in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board. 

In 2022, a Dutch court found Strelkov guilty and sentenced him in absentia to life in prison. Moscow condemned the decision as politically motivated.  

The offense he is currently being charged with is punishable under Russian law by up to five years in prison, with a ban on occupying certain government positions for three years beyond that.

The judge explained her decision by stating that Strelkov has a vast network of contacts as well as skills that could help him attempt to flee justice, RIA Novosti reported.

Strelkov later became a popular military blogger, as well as a vocal critic of the Russian government and military leadership amid the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. He has taken a hardline stance on the hostilities, calling on Moscow to mobilize more reservists.

Around two dozen of Strelkov’s followers gathered outside the Moscow court to demand his immediate release. Former Donetsk ‘people’s governor’ Pavel Gubarev, who was among those behind the establishment of the then-unrecognized republic’s militia back in 2014, was detained during the protest.