Ukrainian Parliament extends martial law
Roman Petrenko — Thursday, 21 April 2022, 15:44
The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament - ed.) of Ukraine met on 21 April and extended martial law over the entire territory of the country for another month. MPs also voted on dismissing the recently apprehended Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Russian politician and close friend of Putin’s accused of treason, from his position in a parliamentary committee.
Source: Evropeyska Solidarnist MP Oleksiy Honcharenko on Telegram
Details: Medvedchuk was recalled from his position as a member of the Committee for Human Rights, De-occupation, and Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories in Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the City of Sevastopol, and National Minorities and Interethnic Relations.
Martial law was extended from 5:30 am on 25 April for another 30 days.
Background:
- Since May 2021, Viktor Medvedchuk has been kept under house arrest and under investigation for treason and the attempted theft of national resources (oil and gas) in the occupied Crimea. Since October 2021, he was also investigated for facilitating the operations of a terrorist organisation due to his involvement in schemes to purchase coal from the occupied areas of the Donbas.
- On 27 February, law enforcement authorities reported that Medvedchuk had escaped from house arrest.
- On 12 April, he was apprehended in Ukraine during an attempt to cross into Russian-controlled Transnistria.
- On 16 April, the Lychakivskyy Court of the City of Lviv ordered Medvedchuk’s arrest without bail.
