A Ukrainian court on Monday banned the country’s largest pro-Russian political party and seized its assets nationwide after the group was accused of undermining the country’s sovereignty.
The ruling comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree in March banning the work of several parties identified by the security services as being sympathetic to Moscow.
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PRO-KREMLIN PARTY
An appeals court “banned the activities of the political party Opposition Platform — For Life,” Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Malyuska said in a statement on social media.
“The court has ruled to transfer all property, funds and other assets of the party to state ownership,”
he added.
Opposition Platform — For Life was founded in 2018 by tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk who is seen as President Vladimir Putin’s top ally in Kyiv.
He headed the party in parliamentary elections 2019 when it came second behind Zelensky’s bloc.
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RUSSIAN INVASION
It had around thirty deputies in the Ukrainian Parliament before it was banned in March by Zelensky, after the start of the Russian invasion.
Medvedchuk has been detained on treason charges.
Malyuska said 10 pro-Russian political parties whose work was deemed to undermine Ukraine national security have been banned.
© Agence France-Presse
Artmotion S.Africa
