Ex-mayor arrested on charges of discrediting Russian army

The former mayor of Russia’s fourth-largest city was arrested on Wednesday on charges of discrediting the country’s military, part of a crackdown on critics of Moscow’s military action in Ukraine.

Police detained Yevgeny Roizman, who served as the mayor of Yekaterinburg from 2013-2018, following searches at his apartment and office.

The 59-year-old told reporters he has been charged under a new law adopted after Russia invaded Ukraine. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

Russian courts fined Roizman earlier this year on similar charges.

Roizman, a sharp critic of the Kremlin, is one of the most visible and charismatic opposition figures in Russia. During his tenure as mayor, he enjoyed broad popularity in Yekaterniburg, a city of 1.5 million people in the Ural Mountains.

As police escorted him from his apartment on Wednesday, Roizman told reporters he is likely to be taken to Moscow for investigation.

Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, Russia’s parliament approved legislation which outlawed disparaging the military and the spread of “false information” about what the Kremlin describes as a “special military operation” in the neighbouring country.

Courts have given fines and prison sentences to individuals who have criticised the Russian action in Ukraine.