Bharat Express

An imprisoned Russian ultranationalist declares himself a presidential nominee

Girkin supporters claimed in September that his criminal probe had been extended to December 18

Russian

Igor Girkin

In an announcement delivered on his behalf on Saturday, Igor Girkin, a famous ultranationalist in a Russian jail awaiting trial on accusations of inciting extremism, announced his intention to run for president in 2024.

Girkin stated from prison in August that he would make a better president than Vladimir Putin, whom he called too kind. His remarks at the time were tinged with irony, and he is seen as an improbable candidate.

SOTA posted a video of Oleg Nelzin, co-chair of a group called Russian Movement for Strelkov, delivering a letter from Girkin during a news conference on its Telegram channel.

The letter directed his supporters to establish a headquarters and begin collecting signatures for his candidacy. Girkin supporters claimed in September that his criminal probe had been extended to December 18.

Girkin, who lost an appeal against pre-trial detention in a Moscow court in August, is best known in the West for his role in the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin enjoys unprecedented support and would win an overwhelming majority if he ran.

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