Remeslow argued that the Russian president had been in power for too long and apparently planned to “remain on the throne for at least 150 years.” He also described Putin’s press conferences as a “circus” and concluded by saying that he was not a legitimate president: “Putin must resign and be brought to justice as a war criminal and thief.”
The next day, Remeslow posted some videos online to prove that he was still living in Russia. He also said that he is ready to go to jail now so that he can live as a hero later after the fall of Putin.
The manifesto and video caused quite a stir and apparently led to Remslow being committed to St. Petersburg Psychiatric Hospital No. 3. It is not clear how this happened, but it seems that all contact with him has been lost and people are wondering what happened.
From anti-Navalny z-bloggers to dissidents?
While there have been occasional cases of public outcry against the system in Russia since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Remeslow had until now been the exact opposite of a critic. He was one of the most famous “Z-bloggers”, a term used to describe patriots who support the war in Ukraine and campaign against dissent.
Remslow became known to the Russian public through his crusade against the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, for whose arrest he was largely responsible and against whom he testified in courts across Russia. Navalny died in prison in early 2024 while serving a long sentence on charges including extremism.
In an interview conducted before he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Remeslow claimed that he had acted of his own free will, acknowledging that his sudden change of facet may seem contradictory. He attributed this change to personal growth and a new “mission” in life.
Remeslow said that his past campaigns against the Russian opposition are no longer in line with his current views. That began to change after Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin dared to stand up to the Kremlin and failed in 2023, he said. Remeslow said he was aware of the risks, but insisted he would not flee to another country. He said he hoped there would be political change this year.
Former colleagues are shocked
Remeslow’s apparent decision to switch sides did not go down well with his former colleagues. “I am deeply shocked,” said Apti Alaudinov, head of a Chechen special forces unit, with whom Remeslo had previously worked. Alauddinov said on his Telegram channel that Remeslo was “a completely adequate, pro-Russian, pro-presidential person with extensive connections in the security services” and that perhaps he was forced to make the unexpected statement.
Russia’s most famous propagandist, TV host Vladimir Solovyov, said that Remeslo probably suffered a “nervous breakdown” because of the war and added that some people “can’t keep themselves calm.” Various pro-government websites dismissed Remslow’s criticism of Putin as an attempt to destabilize Russia, while some said it was a smart move, an experiment that “will benefit someone.”
‘An accomplice in the murder of Alexei Navalny’
Ivan Filippov, a researcher specializing in Russian propaganda, described Remeslo in an interview with DW as an “accomplice in the murder of Alexei Navalny” and said that the blogger “never does anything like this and never does it for free.”
Filippov pointed out that Remeslow’s comments about Putin being a “war criminal” and a “thief” were unprecedented and could lead to the blogger’s arrest.
Political scientist Abbas Galyamov said that Remeslo’s alleged change of heart was part of a broader trend in Russia. “There is a change in this direction in the media and in society as a whole,” he told DW. He said this was due to war fatigue, economic problems and declining trust in the government.
Abbamov’s colleague, Dmitry Oreshkin, said that Remeslov was likely forced into psychiatric care. He said, “The authorities inevitably had to react harshly. If you don’t want to make him a hero, you have to somehow humiliate or break him. If he has gone off the rails and become hysterical – you have to isolate him somehow.”
Oreshkin said that St. Petersburg’s Psychiatric Clinic No. 3 had a poor reputation as a forensic psychiatry facility since Soviet times. To him, the wide range of reactions across Russia – from the hysterical to the disappointing and the aggressive – was very telling. Russia is in a state of political “drug-induced lethargy”, he said, if such outbursts on social media are seen as major political events.
This article was originally written in German.
<a href