An imprisoned Russian ultranationalist declares himself a presidential nominee

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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