The leader of the “DPR” militants, Girkin, was denied parole in the Russian Federation

In Russia, the Kirovo-Chepetsky District Court of the Kirov Region has denied parole to former Minister of Defense of the DNR group Ihor Girkin (known by the pseudonym “Strelkov”), who is serving a term in the case of “extremism”. On January 22, the wife of the convict Myroslav Reginska reported this.

Lawyers filed a motion to reduce the conditions for Girkin at the end of December 2024, after their client had served half of his term. According to Reginska, before the court session, the administration of the colony prepared a description, which states that “the goal of correction has not been achieved and there is no certainty that he will not commit a crime again.”

Journalists were not allowed to attend the meeting, and excerpts from the description were given to Girkin’s wife by the lawyers. In the document, among other things, it is emphasized that Girkin is on preventive registration “as a person who professes an extremist ideology”, and also that he does not admit guilt, “has not repented of what he has done, does not consider work as a means of correction, supports an uncertainly disposed part of the convicts.” .

In addition, as stated in the description, Girkin had a remark during the inspection of the bedside table – about the storage of pills officially approved by the doctor, Reginska writes.

According to her, Girkin himself did not expect a positive outcome of the petition and refused to participate in the court session.

Ihor Girkin, who is a retired FSB officer, participated in the war in Donbas in 2014 and in the capture of the city of Sloviansk. He called himself the person who pulled the “war trigger” in Ukraine. After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Girkin supported this decision, but criticized the Russian leadership for, in his opinion, insufficiently active actions.

In July 2023, Girkin was detained, and in January 2024, he was sentenced to four years in prison in the case of calls to extremism (Part 2 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code). The reason for the persecution was two messages in the telegram channel of the former militant – about Crimea and about payments to those mobilized from the “DPR” group.

In July 2024, Girkin was transferred to correctional colony No. 5 in the city of Kirovo-Chepetsk, Kirov region. Already in custody, he twice asked to be sent to war, but was refused both times.