A Russian former leader of separatist rebels in Ukraine, who called Vladimir Putin a "cowardly mediocrity," was convicted of extremism on Thursday, reports the AP. The Moscow court imposed a four-year sentence on Igor Girkin, who was the most prominent leader of Russian-backed separatist fighters in Ukraine's Donetsk region in 2014, when rebellion arose after the ouster of Ukraine's Russia-allied president. He briefly became the self-declared separatist government's defense minister, but left the post in August 2014 after rebel forces shot down a Malaysian passenger airliner over Donetsk, killing all 298 people aboard.
Girkin returned to Russia and became a nationalist commentator and activist. He supported launching Russia's war in Ukraine, but sharply criticized authorities for being inept and indecisive in carrying out the fight. Girkin called Putin a "nonentity" and a person of "cowardly mediocrity." He was arrested in July on extremism charges and remained in custody since. His conviction reflects the high sensitivity of Russian authorities to criticism and opposition. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, that sensitivity intensified sharply, with the passage of laws criminalizing statements and news reports that allegedly discredit the Russian military. Two protesters calling for Girkin to be freed were detained by police outside the court building, Russian news agencies said.
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