MOSCOW. Jan 25 (Interfax) - The Moscow City Court has sentenced Igor Strelkov (Girkin), a former Donetsk militia commander, to four years in a general penitentiary on counts of calls for extremism.
"To sentence Girkin to four years in a general penitentiary," Judge Irina Vyrysheva said.
Strelkov was found guilty of calls for extremism.
Strelkov's lawyer Alexander Molokhov told Interfax that they would appeal the conviction. "We have decided to file an appeal," Molokhov said.
The court also prohibited Strelkov from administering websites for three years.
The period spent in the pretrial detention center will be included in the sentence by calculating 24 hours in the pretrial detention center as 36 hours in a penal colony.
Strelkov's trial was held in camera since December 14, 2023. A prosecutor demanded four years and 11 months in a general penitentiary for Strelkov. Molokhov said that the prosecutor demanded the "maximum" penalty. Meanwhile, the defense demanded an acquittal and said that Strelkov's culpability was not proven. As reported at the beginning of the investigation, the charges were based on two posts on Telegram. Strelkov pleaded not guilty.
He was detained on July 21, 2023, and placed under arrest by a court.
Strelkov is a former leader of the Donbass 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.