Russian nationalist and former separatist commander Igor Girkin, also known by his alias Strelkov, has lost his appeal against a four-year prison sentence he was handed for calling for "extremist activity."
Russia's Supreme Court announced its decision to uphold the ruling in a closed-door hearing on November 6, confirming that Girkin’s imprisonment would be carried out. He is currently serving time in a prison in the Kirov region.
Girkin, a former colonel in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and a key figure in Russia's 2014 occupation of Ukraine's Crimea and Donbas regions, was sentenced in January 2024 for criticizing President Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders.
The court found that his public remarks, made in two Telegram posts, amounted to calls for extremist activity. Girkin has denied any wrongdoing and rejects the accusations.
Girkin was arrested in July 2023 after posting criticisms of Putin’s handling of the war in Ukraine, which he described as poorly executed and mishandled.
He accused the Russian president of "cowardly mediocrity" and even called for his resignation, stating that Russia needed "someone truly capable and responsible" to lead the country.
SEE ALSO: Russian Elite, Nationalists On Notice After Prigozhin's Presumed DeathWhile in custody, Girkin, 53, expressed interest in participating in the 2024 Russian presidential election. He made efforts to organize a campaign and collect signatures in support of his candidacy, but ultimately failed.
Despite his incarceration, Girkin continued to push for his involvement in the war in Ukraine, requesting multiple times to be sent to the front lines. However, the requests were denied, a move Girkin and his supporters believe was the result of an unofficial ban on him by Russian authorities.
His wife, Miroslava Reginskaya, confirmed in September that her husband's requests to join the ongoing invasion of Ukraine had been rejected twice even though Russia is recruiting prisoners to fight in the war.
Girkin, who rose to prominence as a commander of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014, was instrumental in the military operations that led to the occupation of Crimea.
In addition to his prison sentence in Russia, Girkin faces international legal challenges.
In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted him and two other defendants in absentia for their role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, which killed all 298 people onboard.
The plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over territory controlled by the separatists in eastern Ukraine. Investigators have suggested there are "strong indications" that Putin was personally involved in the incident, although Russia has denied any responsibility for the attack.