Russia issues arrest warrant for Ukrainian leader

Moscow has issued an international arrest warrant for Dmitry Yarosh, the leader of a Ukrainian ultra-nationalist movement, the Russian Investigative Committee (IC) said Wednesday.

"Dmitry Yarosh has been put on the international wanted list via Interpol," Xinhua quoted committee spokesman Vladimir Markin as saying in a statement.

Markin said the committee had also decided to try Yarosh in court in absentia.

Russia accuses Yarosh, a leader of the right wing movement, of public calls to terror and extremist activities via mass media.

According to the committee, the Ukrainian activist urged "anti-Russian forces" to commit terror attacks on Russian territory.

Markin said any person encouraging others to commit crimes in Russia or against Russian citizens abroad would be brought to a criminal court in line with Russian and international laws, regardless of that person's whereabouts and citizenship.

If convicted, Yarosh faces up to seven years in prison.

On Saturday, Yarosh, via a Russian social network, called on Chechen warlord Doku Umarov to join his movement in fighting the Russian government.