Investigative journalists of Radio Free Europe (Radio Free Europe) found out who are the members of the “Other Ukraine” movement, a shadow political party created by pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk to replace the authorities in Kyiv, Meduza reports.
Journalists of the “Schemes: Investigating Ukraine” project discovered that among Medvedchuk’s new associates are political commentators of already closed pro-Russian TV channels in Ukraine, deputies of local councils from the established political party “Opposition Platform – For Life”. Medvedchuk in Ukraine in 2018, and Ukrainian political scientists are accused of treason and separatism.
None of the members of the party created by Medvedchuk are in Ukraine anymore, some of them left the country after the beginning of the Russian invasion.
According to RFE/RL’s investigative journalists, political technologist Andriy Misin, who worked with Medvedchuk for years, left Ukraine in January of this year, having managed to cross the border despite restrictions imposed during martial law by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on the first day of the war and repeatedly extended thereafter. the Kyiv Parliament.
Journalist Denys Zharkyh, who was investigated by the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine, also managed to leave the country unhindered in September 2022 during martial law.
Medvedchuk’s associates include people who are accused of particularly serious crimes in Ukraine.
Ukrainians accused of treason were detained by a party created in Moscow
For example, since 2019, journalist Volodymyr Skatsyko has been wanted by the SBU on suspicion of violating the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, and since 2019, political commentator Yury Dudkin has also been charged with treason and violation of the equality of citizens.
It is believed that Dudkin managed to escape from Ukraine in June of last year.
Former members of the Ukrainian parliament from the Opposition Platform – For Life party, who are currently in Russia, have not yet publicly announced their joining of its new political project, as RFE/RL notes that the party is not officially registered in Moscow.
Among them are former people’s deputies of Ukraine Taras Kozak, Ilya Kiva and Oleg Voloshyn.
RFE/RL also notes that the party looks more like an online project whose members use social media to spread information broadcast by Kremlin-controlled media.
Viktor Medvedchuk, returned by Russia in exchange for fighters who defended Mariupol
Viktor Medvedchuk was the most famous pro-Russian politician in Ukraine, nicknamed “Putin’s best man” after the Russian president revealed that he was the godfather of one of his daughters.
In 2021, the Ukrainian authorities put Medvedchuk under house arrest in a case where he is accused of treason.
He managed to escape from custody after the start of the war, and was captured by Ukrainian security forces on April 12, when he was preparing to flee the country.
His party “Opposition Platform – For Life” had about 30 deputies in the Ukrainian parliament before it was banned by Kyiv in March 2023.
Medvedchuk, one of the richest people in Ukraine, has been under US sanctions since 2014 “for threatening the peace, security, stability, sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine and for undermining democratic institutions and processes in Ukraine.”
Kyiv handed him over to Russia in September of last year as part of a prisoner exchange, in which Ukraine received the heroes of the Mariupol Azovstal plant.
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Source: Hot News
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