Former serviceman who demanded meeting with Putin is arrested in Russia
Alexander Lunin, a former Russian serviceman and blogger who publicly demanded a face-to-face meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and threatened to stage an army mutiny, has been arrested on a charge of displaying extremist symbols.
Source: Russian independent news outlet Verstka
Details: According to Verstka, the case came to court at 10:00 on Saturday 27 June and the hearing took place at 11:30. It was not until two days later, on the morning of 29 June, that information about the proceedings appeared on the court's website.
The court's ruling has not been published. Court officials refused to provide Verstka with a copy of the decision, saying that "cases like this are not made public". The charge of displaying extremist symbols, which is categorised as an administrative offence, carries a maximum penalty of 15 days' detention.
Posts that had appeared earlier on Lunin's Telegram channel claimed he had been sentenced to 11 days in detention, although no reason was given.
On 25 June, Lunin posted a video address to Putin demanding a live face-to-face meeting. He accused military commanders of abusing Russian servicemen and warned that the Russian military could "turn its weapons against the Kremlin" if he were not allowed to speak alongside the Russian leader.
After the video appeared online, Lunin's wife said security forces had searched their home in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight and seized computer equipment. She later deleted her video and wrote that Lunin was "alive and well", but urged people not to circulate information about him.
A subsequent post on the blogger's Telegram channel confirmed that he had been detained.
For reference: Lunin, 39, fought in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. He lives in Lizinovka, a village in the Rossoshansky district in Voronezh Oblast.
According to the Russian media outlets Meduza and Mediazona, Lunin served in the 150th Motorised Rifle Division and was wounded.
On 25 June, he posted a video message in which he demanded a meeting with Putin. Lunin warned that unless he was let into the Kremlin in the near future and allowed to appear live on air alongside the Russian leader, then the army would "turn its weapons against the Kremlin". The video has garnered millions of views.
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