A prominent Russian actor is facing criminal charges for criticizing the Kremlin over the war in Ukraine, according to authorities.
On Monday, Russia’s Investigative Committee said its head, Alexander Bastrykin, had ordered the initiation of a criminal case against Russian film and theater actor Artur Smolyaninov.
According to the statement, the 39-year-old actor “made a series of statements directed against Russia in an interview with a Western media outlet.”
FILE – Artur Smolyaninov, a leading Russian film and theater actor, gestures as he arrives for the opening ceremony of the 31st Moscow International Film Festival in Moscow, Friday, June 19, 2009.
(AP)
The Investigative Committee did not clarify which of Smolyaninov’s actions constituted a criminal offense and what charges it would file against him.
Smolyaninov, who starred in the 2005 film “The 9th Company” about the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, left Russia after Moscow forces invaded Ukraine and has repeatedly spoken out against the war .
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His most recent interview, last week, sparked outrage among Kremlin supporters. The actor told Novaya Gazeta Europa that if he had to fight in the war, he would fight “on the side of Ukraine.” “For me, he is on the side of my brothers who were attacked by my other brothers,” Smolyaninov said.
The Grand Kremlin palace, left, and the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Russia announced the start of a withdrawal of some forces after exercises that raised alarm in the United States and Europe about a possible military assault. about Ukraine.
(Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed an investigation against Smolyaninov on Monday, saying it is “important that our relevant (law enforcement) bodies think about these comments.”
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The investigation against Smolyaninov comes amid increasingly harsh rhetoric about Russians leaving the country because of the war. Lawmakers have suggested seizing property from those who moved abroad or raising taxes for those who continue to work remotely for Russian companies. Others have simply condemned them as “traitors.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
