Navalny called Girkin a political prisoner

So said the imprisoned politician Alexei Navalny former FSB officer Igor Girkin (Strelkov), detained because of posts on social networks, is a political prisoner. On his social media, Navalny noted that Strelkov’s arrest was based on a fictitious and fabricated case of extremism, which he called a “ridiculous and obviously politically motivated accusation.”

According to the politician, Girkin should be tried for all crimes committed during the fighting in Ukraine. Navalny recalled that Strelkov had already been sentenced in absentia by a Dutch court to life imprisonment for the crash of a Malaysia Airlines plane in Donetsk region in July 2014. He emphasizes, however, that the current arrest of Girkin is not related to the crimes he committed, but is a tool to protect the interests of the authorities and suppress criticism of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and President Vladimir Putin.

“Of course, criticism of Strelkov is criticism of the right. He scolded the cannibals for their lack of appetite. And he gave advice on how to eat people better. And what is the right way to wage an illegal, aggressive and stupid war,” Navalny said.

However, regardless of Girkin’s political views, justice should come first, and a person should be tried only for those crimes that have actually been proven, the politician concluded. “To be glad that Strelkov fell victim to his own power is to publicly support lawlessness,” he said.

Girkin was detained at the request of a former employee of PKW “Wagner” and arrested on charges of extremism due to two entries on his social networks. A case has been opened against him for calls for extremist activity. He faces up to five years in prison. Navalny himself is now being tried under the same article as Strelkov: Part 2. Art. 280 of the Penal Code is on the list of articles on the basis of which a politician serving a nine-year sentence in a strict regime colony will be re-sentenced on 4 August.