The investigation has classified the investigation of a criminal case of incitement to extremism on the Internet against the former «Minister of Defense of the DPR» Igor Strelkov (Girkin), his lawyer Gadzhi Aliyev told Baza. The second lawyer of Girkin, Alexander Molokhov, told RBC about this.
All meetings in the Girkin case will now be held behind closed doors. Molokhov stressed that he could not tell other details because of a non-disclosure agreement for information that constitutes a state secret. «Article 283 of the Criminal Code is a serious matter, — explained the defender.
The arrest of Girkin became known on July 21, when the security forces came to his house in Moscow. Later, journalists found the ex-“Minister of Defense of the DPR” in the Meshchansky District Court, at the meeting he had a lawyer by appointment. Later, Alexander Molokhov, Girkin's comrade-in-arms in the Angry Patriots Club, joined the case.
The court sent Strelkov under arrest, he is accused of publishing two posts in the Telegram channel. According to the lawyer, they talked about the «Crimean issue» and payments to military personnel. Molokhov added that “in the case there is only an incomprehensible survey of a Crimean resident who read Strelkov’s post and experienced some indignation” (Part 2 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code).
Igor Girkin gained fame in the spring of 2014, when his detachment captured buildings of authorities in Ukrainian Slavyansk. Later, Girkin was appointed to the post of «Minister of Defense of the DPR», which he held until mid-August 2014. In November 2022, a court in The Hague sentenced him in absentia to life in prison in the case of the Boeing MH17 that was shot down in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
After the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine, Girkin began to criticize the Russian leadership, including Putin, for lack of determination. In April 2023, he announced the creation of the Angry Patriots Club public association.