Former diplomat Craig Murray is seeking to be picked as a candidate Holyrood elections in May for a fringe independence-supporting party.
Mr Murray, a one-time UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, has been selected to join the running to be picked as a list candidate for the Lothian region for the Action for Independence party (AfI).
The controversial blogger and long-time independence supporter is currently awaiting the outcome of a contempt of court case relating to online articles he wrote on the Salmond trial.
READ MORE: Craig Murray contempt of court trial hears evidence
He was adopted at a virtual meeting of AFI members in Lothian on Monday night and is tipped to be chosen as number one on the party’s list when a ballot is held to rank the candidates.
AFI urges people to vote SNP in the constituency vote but switch to AFI on the list to maximise the number of pro-independence MSPs elected.
Mr Murray, who was born in England but went to Dundee University and now lives in Scotland again, was British ambassador to the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan between 2002 and 2004 and spoke out against violations of human rights by the regime before he was removed from his post.
He has since campaigned on a number of issues, including in support of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
Mr Murray joined the SNP in 2011 and last year stood for the post of party president, winning the support of one in five delegates.
Hugh Kerr, who is also standing for AfI in Lothian, told The Scotsman: "Craig is a great fighter for justice and civil liberties but he is also a great campaigner for independence. He returned to Scotland after he was sacked by Jack Straw specifically to campaign for Scotland's independence.
"He has campaigned widely in the Yes movement, he will be a great asset to AFI and would be a really interesting addition to the Scottish Parliament."
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