(NewsInsights.org) – Grigori Chkhartishvili, better known by his pen name, Boris Akunin, lives in London, England, even though he has remained one of Russia’s best-selling detective series authors. Akunin left Moscow in 2014 after it forcibly annexed Crimea from Ukraine in February of that year, and the author publicly voiced criticisms of Putin’s decision. The novelist has openly remained supportive of Ukraine since the Kremlin moved to invade Ukraine again in 2022. A Russian court issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Akunin on Tuesday, February 6, after declaring the writer a “terrorist.”
Prank calls perpetrated by popular pro-Putin comedians Vovan and Lexus led to the charges against Akunin and journalist Dmitry Bykov. The comic duo called Akunin, claiming to represent the Ukrainian government and taped the author’s warm support for the embattled nation, airing it publicly in December in Russia.
Most Russian publishers and booksellers chose to remove Akunin’s books from their inventories. The few that didn’t faced government investigations. Additionally, Rosfinmonitoring, the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation, added the author to its list of terrorists and extremists in mid-December without providing any further explanation. Akunin noted the irony on Facebook, writing, “Terrorists have declared me a terrorist.”
The Russian Ministry of Justice designated Akunin a “foreign agent” in mid-January, accusing the author of raising funds to support Ukraine’s military operations. The ministry also claimed he spread “false information aimed at creating a negative image” of Russia and its military, according to the BBC.
On January 26, the Interior Ministry added Akunin to its wanted list for alleged criminal acivity, although the ministry didn’t list specific charges against the popular novelist. Like Akunin, many artists have fled Russia since it began its campaign against Ukraine. Akunin has warned those who have left not to return because of reprisals. The author himself has noted how restrictive his homeland has become.
Copyright 2024, NewsInsights.org
