Igor Strelkov (Girkin) announced his decision to participate in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation

Former FSB officer Igor Strelkov, arrested in an extremism case, announced his self-nomination as a candidate for the presidency of Russia.

He announced his decision in a letter from the pre-trial detention center where he is now, published by the co-chairman of the “Russian Movement for Strelkov” Oleg Nelzin, writes D.W.

The ex-FSB officer called on his comrades to start a campaign to nominate him as a presidential candidate, set up a headquarters to collect signatures, and also appealed to various public and political organizations to support him:

“This is our chance to unite in the face of external and internal threats.”

Let us remind you that Igor Strelkov was detained on July 21 on charges of extremism due to posts on social networks. The court decided to send him to a pre-trial detention center. Strelkov does not admit his guilt, and the case is classified by the investigation. According to the law, the status of a defendant in a criminal case does not prevent him from running for president, whose elections will be held in Russia on March 17, 2024.

Since April 2014, Igor Strelkov (Girkin) commanded units of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. From May to August 2014, he served as “Minister of Defense” in the self-proclaimed “DPR.”

Having found him guilty in the case of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing crash in the Donetsk region in 2014, which killed 298 people, a court in the Netherlands sentenced Strelkov to life imprisonment in November 2022.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Strelkov criticized the leadership of the Russian Federation, demanding mass mobilization and intensification of military action.