MOSCOW: Russian authorities have detained a blogger who criticized President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine and fined an anti-war politician, as Moscow sends a warning signal to critics of the Kremlin ahead of September’s parliamentary election.
Although Putin maintains a near-total grip on power, he and the dominant United Russia party are under pressure in the lead-up to the vote as Russia grapples with an economic slowdown and fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries.
The blogger, Ilya Remeslo, was detained on Friday on suspicion of the offense of spreading false information about the Russian army, the TASS state news agency reported.
REMESLO’S MANIFESTO ON ‘WHY I STOPPED SUPPORTING PUTIN’
Previously a pro-Kremlin figure, Remeslo published a manifesto that went viral on social media in March entitled “Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin.” He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he spent about a month. TASS said he could receive 10 years in prison if convicted.
