(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)Supporters Igor Girkin also know as Igor Strelkov, the former military chief for Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, gather outside the Moscow's City Court in Moscow, Russia,Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)TALLINN, Estonia -- A Russian court on Thursday sentenced a woman to 27 years in prison for a cafe blast that killed a prominent pro-war blogger after he was given a bust of himself that later exploded. In a separate proceeding, a Moscow court convicted a former leader of separatist rebels in Ukraine who called President Vladimir Putin a coward of extremism and sentenced him to four years. Two protesters calling for Girkin to be freed were detained by police outside the court building, Russian news agencies said. He fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion arose in 2014, then joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

Source: ABC News January 25, 2024 23:29 UTC