Ukraine's Security Service serves leader of banned Communist party with notice of suspicion and describes his escape to Russia

Petro Symonenko, Leader of the Communist Party of Ukraine (banned in Ukraine), and former lawmaker, left for Russia via Belarus during the Russian occupation of Kyiv Oblast and has actively supported Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. He has been served with a notice of suspicion. Source: Security Service of Ukraine; Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine

Details: The SSU has gathered evidence against Petro Symonenko on charges of publicly calling for the seizure of state power in Ukraine and justifying the war. The investigation indicates that during the occupation of Kyiv Oblast in February and March 2022, Symonenko appealed to Russia's senior military and political leadership for his "evacuation" to the aggressor country.

The Kremlin ordered a Russian Special Forces unit to take Symonenko and his family out of the then-occupied village of Berezivka in the Makariv district of Kyiv Oblast. As the Russians arrived in Berezivka, the former lawmaker welcomed the Russians, accommodated them in his own residence, and provided them with food.

Then, from 4 to 8 March 2022, the Russian occupying special forces "escorted" Symonenko and his relatives through Russian checkpoints to the territory of Belarus.

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Afterwards, he moved to Russia, where he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the International Communist Association Union of Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Russian Communist Party controls this pro-Kremlin organisation, headed by lawmaker Gennady Zyuganov, member of the State Duma [the lower chamber of the Russian parliament].

Symonenko launched a public campaign supporting Moscow's aggressive policy on Zyuganov's instructions. In October 2022, the former lawmaker participated in the 22nd International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties, held in Havana, Cuba. Symonenko tried to legitimise the seizure of part of Ukraine's territory and the activities of the "LPR/DPR" (the Russian-backed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics) terrorist organisations during his speech at the "forum".

In addition to this, the investigation revealed that the former MP took part in the congress of the Anti-Fascist Forum held in Minsk, Belarus, on 21-22 April 2023. There, he spoke in favour of continuing the aggressive war against Ukraine and justified the Kremlin's narratives on the use of tactical nuclear weapons by the Russian Federation. Based on the collected evidence, Symonenko was served with a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• Article 109.3 (public calls for violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order or for the seizure of state power through the media);
• Art.

  436-2.3 (justification, recognition as lawful, and denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which began in 2014, including by presenting the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine as an internal civil conflict using the media).

Furthermore, the issue of additional qualification of the defendant's criminal actions is under consideration. The pre-trial investigation is underway. Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine.

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