Ukraine puts ex-Communist leader Symonenko on the wanted list
Kyiv • UNN
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has put Petro Symonenko, leader of the banned Communist Party of Ukraine, on the wanted list. A criminal case was opened against Symonenko for publicly calling for the overthrow of the constitutional order and denying Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has put the leader of the banned Communist Party of Ukraine, Petro Symonenko, on the wanted list. The former politician is in the search database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, reports UNN.
Details
The search for Symonenko was initiated by the Security Service of Ukraine.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the CPU leader disappeared on August 19, 2023.
Symonenko is involved in criminal proceedings opened under Part 3 of Article 109 (public calls for violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order or for the seizure of state power through the use of the media) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Context
On August 11, 2023, the SBU announced that it had served Symonenko with a notice of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 109 and Part 3 of Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014, in particular through the presentation of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine as an internal civil conflict using the media).
According to the investigation, after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Symonenko was taken from Ukraine to Russia by Russian special forces, 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.
In October 2022, the former MP took part in the so-called "22nd International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties" in Havana, Cuba. During his speech at the "forum," Symonenko tried to legitimize the seizure of part of Ukraine's territory and the activities of the "l/DPR.
In addition, according to the investigation, on April 21-22, 2023, the former MP took part in the congress of the "anti-fascist forum" held in Minsk. There, he spoke in favor of continuing the war against Ukraine and justified the Kremlin's narratives about the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia.
