Ukrainian MP Shevchenko faces treason charges
Sources: State Bureau of Investigation (SBI)
Ukrainian MP Yevhen Shevchenko is facing treason charges after the country’s law enforcement agencies said on Thursday they have evidence the lawmaker was engaged in actions “compromising Ukraine’s defense and information security”.
Investigation points to his public statements as of early 2021 when he started “spreading false information”. Among other things, he denied the possibility of a full-scale Russian invasion from Belarus, the claims that later proved misleading.
The probe also highlights Shevchenko’s alleged connections with the Belarusian embassy, especially after an incident in September 2020, when he appeared in Ukraine’s parliament holding a Belarusian flag.
The investigation materials show that the lawmaker may have conducted a “systematic information campaign benefiting the aggressor state”, and forensic linguisitic and psychological reports confirmed that his activity had “harmful effects” on Ukraine’s national security.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.