ALBAWABA - Russian authorities announced jailing the former top military commander of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" Igor Girkin under extremism charges.
Igor Girkin, also known by his pseudonym Strelkov, was found guilty of inciting extremism by the Moscow City Court, which he denied.
Girkin, a former officer of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and military commander, was instrumental in Russia's annexation of Crimea and the early stages of its invasion of Donbas before becoming a well-known Russian military blogger with over half a million Telegram followers.
Russian police detained at least three people outside a Moscow court Thursday as they protested a jail sentence handed down to nationalist critic and ex-rebel commander Igor Girkin, AFP reported.
AFP reporters witnessed three people being detained by police, one of whom shouted "Freedom for Girkin!" while others held posters with nationalist slogans.
