A self-exiled former speechwriter of Vladimir Putin, Abbas Gallyamov, whose name appeared in the Russian Interior Ministry’s online registry of wanted persons last week, is suspected of discrediting Russia’s armed forces, a charge Russian authorities have been using to stifle any criticism of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The Setevyye Svobody (Network Freedoms) group, which monitors the rights of online journalists, said on March 30 that it had obtained official documents of the probe against Gallyamov stating that the charge against him stems from his interview with Ukraine’s 1+1 television’s YouTube project.
Gallyamov gave the interview with the outlet on April 9, 2022, discussing alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops in the Ukrainian cities of Bucha and Kramatorsk.
Setevyye Svobody said the investigation against Gallyamov was launched on January 18 and that his name was added to the wanted list on February 17, more than one month before it appeared on the ministry’s website.
If convicted, Gallyamov faces up to 10 years in prison. According to Setevyye Svobody, lawyer Alan Gamazov is representing Gallyamov. It is not clear whether he was appointed by Russian authorities or was chosen by Gallyamov to be his legal representative.
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On March 24, the Mediazona website said it found the official notice identifying Gallyamov as wanted on unspecified charges on the Interior Ministry’s website. The notice was posted a day after RFE/RL published an extensive interview with Gallyamov.
In the interview, Gallyamov suggested that the ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine may lead to a revolution in Russia.
He also reflected on his time as a member of Putin’s speechwriting team after Putin became prime minister in 2008. He said that at that time, nobody could have predicted “that Russia would turn into some kind of fascist state, as it is now.”
Discrediting Russia’s armed forces became a crime under a new law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Last month, the Russian Justice Ministry added Gallyamov to its registry of foreign agents, saying he has distributed “materials compiled by foreign agents, expressed ideas against the special military operation in Ukraine, participated as an expert, and respondent on information platforms presented by foreign entities.”
Gallyamov, 50, is currently residing in Israel. He worked as a speechwriter for Putin from 2008 to 2010. He was a deputy chief of the administration of then-President of Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov from 2010 to 2014.
