Blogger who called Putin an "illegal president" arrested
Blogger Ilya Remeslo, previously known in Russia for his pro-government views and anti-opposition activities, has been placed in a pre-trial detention center in Moscow on charges of spreading "false information" about the army after sharply criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Blogger who called Putin an "illegal president" has been detained.
TASS reported on August 24, citing the blogger's lawyer Sergei Badamshin, that Ilya Remeslo was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Moscow, also known as "Kapotnya", after a medical examination conducted as part of a criminal case on spreading "fake news" about the Russian army.
Prior to this, Remeslo had been undergoing forensic psychological and psychiatric examinations at the Serbsky Psychiatric Institute since late July. The results of the examination have not yet been made public.
The blogger is expected to remain in pre-trial detention until at least September 16. At this time, the Basmanny Court in Moscow will prepare to consider the criminal case against him. Remeslo could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on the charges.
Ilya Remeslo is a former member of the Public Chamber of Russia. However, he is known to the public mainly for his appeals against the Russian opposition and activists.
In particular, Remeslo was a long-time critic of Alexei Navalny and the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF). He was known for this activity even before his appointment to the Russian Public Chamber.
It is said that the fraud case related to the charitable funds collected for Navalny's 2017 presidential campaign was initiated precisely after Remeslo's appeal. Later, another appeal of his was the basis for the opening of a criminal case against Navalny for insulting a Russian veteran.
In March 2026, Remeslo unexpectedly published sharply critical posts on his Telegram channel about Vladimir Putin and Russia's war in Ukraine.
He accused Putin of usurping power, calling him an "illegal president" and a "war criminal and thief."
These statements were a sharp contrast to Remeslo's previous political stance, as he had long supported Putin's rule and had been active against the Russian opposition.
Two days after the posts criticizing Putin were published, Remeslo was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. According to some reports, the blogger's sister was involved in his hospitalization.