MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax) - A prosecutor has demanded four years and 11 months in a general penitentiary for Igor Strelkov (Girkin), a former Donetsk militia commander, on counts of calls for extremism, Strelkov's lawyer Alexander Molokhov told reporters.
"A prosecutor demanded four years and 11 months in a general penitentiary," Molokhov told reporters on Thursday.
The prosecutor demanded "the maximum" penalty for Strelkov, he said.
The prosecutor also demanded a three-year ban on Strelkov's "administering of websites on telecommunication networks, including the Internet," the court's press service said.
The defense argued for Strelkov to be acquitted, Molokhov said.
The sentencing is due at 2 p.m. on January 25.
The Moscow City Court is hearing the Strelkov case in camera.
Strelkov was charged with calling for extremism. He was detained on July 21, 2023, and placed under arrest by a court.
Strelkov pleaded not guilty.
As reported, the charges against Strelkov are based on two posts on Telegram.
Strelkov is under arrest at the Lefortovo pretrial detention facility.
Strelkov is a former leader of the Donbas militia. He served as the defense minister of the Donetsk People's Republic for some time in 2014 and left the republic after his resignation.
The Hague District Court sentenced Strelkov in absentia in November 2022 to life imprisonment in the case of the Malaysia Airlines flight downed in Donbass and the deaths of 298 people onboard. Strelkov said that neither he nor the Donetsk militia were responsible for the crash.