The Security Service of Ukraine informed in absentia former Verkhovna Rada deputy from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc Sergei Polishchuk of suspicion of treason (part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) for denying the existence of Ukraine. The press service of the department reports this.
In addition to suspicion of treason, Polishchuk was charged with violating the equality of citizens depending on their racial, national, and regional affiliation (Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The suspect faces up to 15 years in prison
According to the department, even before the start of full-scale Russian aggression in Ukraine, Polishchuk “regularly visited Moscow and took part in the broadcasts of Russian propagandist Olga Skabeeva.”
“During his appearances on the TV show 60 Minutes, Polishchuk actively supported the aggressive policies of the Kremlin, openly denied the existence of Ukrainian statehood and spread hostile narratives related to the existence of ideological confrontation between Ukrainians,” the SBU said in a statement.
The department also claims that the ex-People’s Deputy received “significant remuneration” from the Russians “for the actions performed.”
“To hide the origin of the funds, the organizers of this operation from the Russian Federation made transfers through financial institutions of third countries. According to available data, the ex-people’s deputy coordinated his subversive activities with representatives of the FSB, from whom he received money for participating in Russian television projects,” the SBU emphasized .
Earlier in Ukraine, a number of former people’s deputies from the pro-Russian party “Opposition Platform – For Life” were charged with treason. Thus, in July, ex-Rada deputy Alexander Ponomarev was arrested in Kyiv, who is suspected of supplying the Russian army with equipment and fuel. And in early August, ex-OPZZH deputy Vadim Rabinovich was arrested in absentia on suspicion of treason. He was charged with disseminating “anti-Ukrainian propaganda information among the population and political leadership of the European Union countries.”
