Story By:  Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor:  Joseph Golder,  Agency: Central European News

Photos of a former Russian Green Party politician posing next to a dead bear he reportedly hunted in the forest has sparked outrage after he used them in a lockdown rant.

Former politician Victor Veriasov now runs the Ergaki Lodge in the picturesque nature park of the same name in the district of Yermakovsky in the southern Russian region of Krasnoyarsk Krai.

He posted photos of him posing next to a dead bear with the message: “I am warning the authorities, if you don’t start helping small businesses during the lockdown you enforced, I will come for you!

“In the meantime, citizens of bestiality, stigmatise me!”

It is believed that ‘citizens of bestiality’ means animal activists.

In the post’s comment section, Veriasov said the photos were taken three years ago and that he had all the necessary permits to shoot the bear.

However, many netizens criticised the former politician for allegedly killing the animal.

Social media user ‘Alexey Tsapaev’ said: “I wish the roles were reversed in that photo. Then it would be his smile covered in muck.”

‘Serega Glukharev’ commented: “I hate anyone who kills animals. Their rifles should be shoved where the sun doesn’t shine.”

According to the reports, Victor ran as Green Party candidate for the region of Khakassia in the national election and won 2.75 percent of the ballot.

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