Russian pilot called Igor Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov is facing jail sentence after criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is a former FSB officer and a military commander who played a key role in Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine. He was also convicted in absentia of mass murder for his involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, which killed 298 people.
Girkin was arrested in July 2023 and charged with incitement to extremism for his criticism of Putin’s conduct of the war in Ukraine. He was sentenced to four years in a penal colony by a Moscow court on January 25, 2024.
He denied the charges and said he was being persecuted for his political views. Many Ukrainians cheered his conviction, while some of his supporters called him a patriot and a hero.
