Ilya Remeslo, a longtime pro-Kremlin lawyer who was admitted to a psychiatric hospital after abruptly directing strongly worded criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin, says he has been released after a month in the facility in St. Petersburg.
“Good evening, dear friends! Today I left the 20th section of the Skvorotsova-Stepanova hospital, where I spent 30 days,” a post on Remeslo’s Telegram channel late on April 17 said, beneath what appeared to be a selfie of the blogger.
“Harsh criticism of top state officials comes at a price — bear that in mind,” Remeslo wrote. He said conditions at the hospital were “quite harsh, even compared to a prison,” and suggested he had not been allowed any time outdoors.
A lawyer who had vocally criticized the late opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation, Remeslo made waves with a sudden turn in a post on March 17, when he said Putin “must resign and be brought to justice as a war criminal and thief.”
In the post, titled Five Reasons Why I Stopped Supporting Vladimir Putin, Remeslo criticized Russia’s war against Ukraine and accused Putin of impoverishing Russians, crushing Internet freedom and independent media, and destroying the political opposition.
Remeslo’s about-face was particularly stunning because of the extent to which Putin’s government has clamped down on dissent — particularly when it comes to criticism of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Putin ordered in 2022.
Within less than 48 hours of his online diatribe, St. Petersburg-based news outlet Fontanka reported that Remeslo had been admitted to the psychiatric hospital in his hometown. It was unclear whether Remeslo had been admitted voluntarily or otherwise.
In his post on April 17, Remeslo did not reveal the reason for is admittance but suggested he would do so soon. He said he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he entered the facility.
The new post included neither praise nor criticism of Putin and the government.
“I don’t regret what I did in essence, but if I were to do it now, I would use more measured and balanced wording, without resorting to personal attacks. I intend to address this oversight in the future,” he wrote.
He said staff at the hospital were all aware of his anti-Putin post. He also said that “within two or three days, I’ll tell you why all this was done and I’ll tell you about my future plans,” and added that he is “open to proposals for cooperation.”
