Former pro-Kremlin blogger Ilya Remeslo gets two months in pretrial detention after criticizing Putin

Moscow's Basmanny District Court has ordered Ilya Remeslo, a former pro-government blogger and informant, held in pretrial detention for two months. Remeslo faces charges of spreading “fakes” about the Russian army, motivated by political hatred, his defense attorney Sergei Badamshin said.

Badamshin had previously said the criminal case stemmed from “that very manifesto, published exactly four months ago.” The case centers on a series of posts, published in March 2026, in which Remeslo criticized Vladimir Putin. Remeslo accused the president of starting the war, damaging Russia’s economy, imposing censorship on the internet and media, seizing power, and suppressing the opposition.

Days after the posts appeared, it emerged that Remeslo had been placed in a psychiatric hospital. He was released a month later.

Ilya Remeslo built his reputation as a pro-Kremlin blogger by fighting Alexei Navalny. He claimed his tip to authorities led to a criminal fraud case against the opposition politician over donations. Remeslo described himself as a “lawyer,” an “investigator,” and a “law-abiding citizen.”