Yarosh, a leader of the Right Sector movement, speaks during a news conference in Kiev
Yarosh, a leader of the Right Sector movement, speaks during a news conference in Kiev Reuters

A Moscow court has issued an arrest warrant for the Ukrainian leader of the far-right Pravy Sektor (Right Sector) paramilitary movement Dmytro Yarosh.

The Basmanny court requested the arrest "in absentia", providing police with a simplified procedure for taking Yarosh into custody if he arrives in Russia.

Yarosh, who was already on Russia's wanted list for incitement to terrorism and extremism on social media, along with fellow Right Sector leader Oleksandr Muzychko, only recently announced his intention to run in presidential elections planned for 25 May.

Judge Natalia Dudar said that Yarosh "might carry on his criminal activity, pressure witnesses or hinder the inquiry into his criminal case in another way" if not arrested, according to Kiev Post.

The charges of terrorism and extremism relate to a document published on the Right Sector website called "Appeal of Right Sector Sector leader Dmitry Yarosh to Doku Umarov" which called on the "leader of the terrorist organisation to step up extremist and terrorist operations against Russia".

However, Yarosh's lawyer said that the far-right leader was not notified of the charges.

"The political dimension of this case must not influence the court. There is no evidence in the case file to confirm that Mr. Yarosh has been notified. Even if Yarosh has no wish to communicate with Russian authorities, they should have used every method to keep him posted," the lawyer said.

A leading figure in the 2014 Ukrainian uprising, Yarosh advocated a "national revolution" during the protests and dismissed ousted Viktor Yanukovich's administration as an "internal occupational regime".

Yarosh, who considers the far-right Svoboda "too liberal", wants to ban both the former ruling party (Party of Regions) and the Communist Party of Ukraine.

Right Sector has been condemned by the US State Department for "inflaming conditions on the streets".

In an interview with Time magazine, Yarosh revealed that the ultra-nationalist movement had amassed a lethal arsenal of weapons.

The movement's ideology, which rejects any foreign influence over Ukraine, borders on fascism, according to reports.

"For all the years of Ukraine's independence, Russia has pursued a systematic, targeted policy of subjugation toward Ukraine," Yarosh told Time. "So of course we will prepare for a conflict with them."