All news

‘Settling political scores’: Kremlin slams Kiev’s persecution of Medvedchuk

On Tuesday, Kiev’s Pechersky District Court turned down a request to take Chairman of the Political Council of Ukraine’s Opposition Platform - For Life into custody as part of a new criminal case

MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. New charges against Chairman of the Political Council of Ukraine’s Opposition Platform - For Life Viktor Medvedchuk are Kiev’s way of settling political scores with a rival who has bolstered his nationwide standing, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"From the beginning, we said: everything that is happening with Medvedchuk is nothing more than settling political scores with a rival in politics, who up until recently, had actively strengthened his political position in the country," Peskov said noting that Kremlin strongly condemns this type of policy.

He added that Moscow is unlikely to help Medvedchuk in this situation, since he is a Ukrainian citizen. "We condemn this, and we can’t turn a blind eye to this (new accusations against the politician - TASS). We view this as an attempt to settle political scores with a rival," the Kremlin official stated.

On Tuesday, Kiev’s Pechersky District Court turned down a request to take Medvedchuk into custody as part of a new criminal case. The politician will remain under round-the-clock house arrest until December 7. Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Irina Venediktova said on October 8 that Medvedchuk had been charged with treason and abetting terrorist activities, because he was engaged in the supply of coal to the tune of about $7.6 million from the breakaway Donbass regions not controlled by Kiev in late 2014 - early 2015. He was placed under house arrest, prolonged from May 13 when he was slapped with charges of high treason and violating the laws and customs of war. This measure has since been extended several times.