Blogger Arsen Markaryan has become a subject of a criminal case for the rehabilitation of Nazism, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to law enforcement agencies. The reasons for initiating the case under Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (rehabilitation of Nazism) have not been disclosed.
The Russian Investigative Committee announced the arrest of Markaryan in the Moscow region. According to the statement from the Investigative Committee, Markaryan will soon be transferred to the investigative department where his questioning will begin. Markaryan is suspected of committing a crime under part 4 of Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (insulting the memory of defenders of the Fatherland with the use of mass media or information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet).
At the beginning of 2025, the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had discovered calls for terrorism in one of Markaryan’s interviews. The investigation revealed that the blogger, having formed a firm position on the correctness of terrorist ideology, made public calls for terrorist actions within Russia using drones. The same calls, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, were made by Markaryan during his participation in a live broadcast on another public channel on the same video-hosting platform.
Earlier, it was reported that materials had been sent to the investigative authorities for consideration regarding the initiation of a case against Markaryan for publicly inciting terrorism.
The Prosecutor’s Office did not specify which interview Markaryan’s statements were under investigation. According to the news outlet “Ostorozhno, novosti,” it was an interview Markaryan gave to blogger Dmitry Larin.
Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code provides for a punishment of up to five years in prison.
Markaryan is also known for his misogynistic statements. In June 2024, the “Kholod” outlet reported that he had created a closed community, where members refer to him as their “spiritual teacher.” Over two years, 55,000 people joined this community, which allowed Markaryan to become a dollar millionaire.
In July 2024, Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the “League of Safe Internet,” promised to file a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office due to Markaryan’s remarks about women. Specifically, during one of his “online consultations,” he claimed that “it’s actually a useful experience to rape someone.”
Earlier we wrote that police open criminal case against blogger Olena Mandziuk.