Former Kremlin loyalist who criticised Putin goes on trial in St Petersburg

A trial began on Tuesday in St Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, against activist Ilya Remeslo. Until recently he was loyal to the Kremlin and for a long time spoke out against Russian opposition figures, but this year he unexpectedly began publicly criticising the country's leader, Vladimir Putin. The case matters as an example of how Russia prosecutes someone who has switched from supporting the authorities to criticising them.

Detention and charge

Remeslo was detained in July. He is charged with "spreading false information about the Russian army". At Tuesday's hearing he pleaded not guilty.

From loyalist to critic

Previously, Remeslo took an active part in the authorities' efforts that led to the imprisonment of opposition politician Alexei Navalny. In March he surprised many by calling Putin a "war criminal" and claiming that Moscow was attacking Ukraine "solely to satisfy its own ego". Two days later, Remeslo was sent to a psychiatric hospital.

Defence position

At an earlier pre-trial hearing, Remeslo told the court: "I am being persecuted for criticising the authorities, for my personal opinion." He said he had exercised his fundamental right to freedom of speech, guaranteed by the constitution, which, in his words, has unfortunately been forgotten.