Ukrainian authorities said they arrested Viktor Medvedchuk, the former leader of Ukraine’s largest opposition party, who was put on house arrest last year over allegations of treason. Medvedchuk left his home shortly after Russia invaded, and Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) chief Ivan Bakanov said he was captured in a “lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation to detain.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a photo online of Medvedchuk in handcuffs wearing a Ukrainian military uniform. “A special operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. Well done!” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
Medvedchuk has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and has long called for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. His party, Opposition Platform – For Life, was banned last month by Zelensky over allegations of having “links” to Russia. At the time, the party held 44 seats in Ukraine’s parliament.
After Medvedchuk escaped house arrest, Opposition Platform – For Life removed him from party leadership. The party also condemned Russia’s invasion, but it wasn’t enough for Zelensky. In total, the Ukrainian leader banned 11 political parties. According to Al Jazeera, three of the parties participated in the parliamentary elections in 2019 and combined received about 2.7 million votes, or 18.3%.
After Medvedchuk’s arrest, Ukraine’s SBU issued a warning to other “pro-Russia” figures. “Pro-Russian traitors and agents of the Russian secret services, remember – your crimes have no statute of limitations. And hiding places, wherever we find you!” the SBU wrote on Twitter.
Early Wednesday morning, Zelensky proposed giving Medvedchuk to Russia in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war. He said it was “important for our security forces and military forces to consider such a possibility.”
Senator Joe McCarthy would have approved of Zelensky and his handlers.
Sounds like a neat blackmail. Just arrest opposition figures on treason charges — then ask for 100 war prisoners. Otherwise, they will execute the man for treason.
Is there a count of these extrajudicial arrests and murders of officials, politicians and military.
Two weeks ago Zelenski fired two of his generals declaring them “traitors”. Are they still alive?
He has pretty much shut down dissent. Democracy in action.
Democracy at work
Senator Joe McCarthy would have approved of Zelensky and his handlers.
It would be fun for Russia to agree to return some Ukrainian POWs in exchange for Medvechuk, then when the war is over put him in charge of the new Ukrainian government. Then he can arrest Zelenskyy and have him executed. LOL
They’ve had this guy since before the Russian special operation. They’re trotting him out now, to possibly exchange him for some of the NATO officers that are trapped in Mariupol. IMO.
Isn’t this one of the things Hitle, er I mean Putin is chastised for?
Flemish news sources emphasize the ‘friend of Putin’ aspect.
They disregard the fact that Medvedchuk is the leader of a political party and 11 political parties were banned not long ago. The argument was they had russian ties. One should ask not only
– to what extent this was true. I would think pro-Russian people had already been banned years before that? Then did they have to look for pro-Russian elements with a magnifying glass this time?
– to what extent the argument is legitimate: pro-Russian points of view should be as acceptable as pro-Europe and pro-American points of view.