Moscow police begin inquiry into pro-Kremlin talk show host’s comments comparing Navalny to Hitler

The Interior Ministry’s northern Moscow department has begun an inquiry into talk show host Vladimir Solovyov’s comments comparing Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny to the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler. This was confirmed in a police response to State Duma deputy Valery Rashkin from the Communist Party (KPRF), who requested an investigation into Solovyov’s remarks for “rehabilitating Nazism.”

Police officers have asked the state-owned television channel VGTRK to provide them with a recording of the “Evening With Vladimir Solovyov” episode that aired on February 16, 2021. The recording will be sent to the Moscow Research Center for analysis, as well as to the Investigative Committee for a “legal assessment,” according to the police response, as quoted by RBC. 

During an episode of the talk show “Evening With Vladimir Solovyov” aired in mid-February, Vladimir Solovyov, explaining why he doesn’t respect Alexey Navalny, called the opposition politician as a “codpiece Fuhrer”and compared him to Adolf Hitler, who he described as “very brave man” who “fought valiantly during the First World War.”

Rashkin later requested that the Attorney General’s office investigate Solovyov’s remarks for the “rehabilitation of Nazism.” Solovyov himself said that “Hitler’s personal courage was no excuse for his actions.” After the broadcast where he commented on Hitler, the talk show host was banned from entering Latvia for “glorifying Nazism.”

Rehabilitation of Nazism is a felony charge that outlines punishments up to five years in prison for approving crimes established by the verdict of the Nuremberg trials.