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.