Russian court orders house arrest for a general in custody on fraud charges

MOSCOW (AP) — A court in Moscow on Monday ordered house arrest for a general in custody on fraud charges, in a ruling that represents an about-face from just weeks ago, when the same court refused to release the general from jail.

Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov was ordered to be placed under house arrest until at least Oct. 11 by the 235th Garrison Military Court.

Popov, who had commanded the 58th Guards Combined Arms Army, was arrested in May along with several top military officials, including former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, a close associate of then Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Some of these officials have been charged with bribery, while Popov has faced charges of fraud on an exceptionally large scale.

President Vladimir Putin dismissed Shoigu as defense minister on May 12, appointing him the secretary of the national security council. Shoigu had been widely criticized for Russia's setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine, and was accused of incompetence and corruption by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who launched a mutiny in June 2023 to demand the dismissal of Shoigu and military chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov.

Less than a month after Prigozhin’s failed uprising, Popov was dismissed. He said he had complained about problems that his troops were facing in Ukraine to the Russian military command, and that his dismissal was a “treacherous” stab in the back to Russian forces in Ukraine.

Popov’s forces were fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast of Ukraine, which is now partially occupied by Russian forces. His dismissal came one day after the 58th Army’s command post in the occupied city of Berdyansk was hit in a Ukrainian strike, killing a high-ranking general.

Popov has been in detention since late May. His lawyers have appealed the ruling to put him behind bars, but lost. In a development that is relatively rare for the Russian justice system, authorities also filed a petition to release Popov under house arrest, but their request was initially turned down by the 235th Garrison Military Court. The investigators filed another request with the court, and it was approved on Monday.

It wasn't immediately clear what prompted the court to change its position on Popov's pretrial detention.

Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army leaves a court building after a session in Moscow, Russia, Monday, July 15, 2024. Popov was relieved of duty last year after complaining about problems faced by his troops in Ukraine. He was arrested this year and accused of fraud. A court in Moscow on Monday ruled to release him from custody and to place him under house arrest. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army, 2nd left, stands with his supporters after a session outside a court in Moscow, Russia, Monday, July 15, 2024. Popov was relieved of duty last year after complaining about problems faced by his troops in Ukraine. He was arrested this year and accused of fraud. A court in Moscow on Monday ruled to release him from custody and to place him under house arrest. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army, centre, leaves a court building with his lawyer Sergei Buynovsky, right, after a session in Moscow, Russia, Monday, July 15, 2024. Popov was relieved of duty last year after complaining about problems faced by his troops in Ukraine. He was arrested this year and accused of fraud. A court in Moscow on Monday ruled to release him from custody and to place him under house arrest. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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