Former pro-Russian MP sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment in absentia
Former pro-Russian MP Illia Kyva, who was a member of the now-banned Oppositional Platform – For Life political party, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison with confiscation of his assets under several articles of the Criminal Code.
Source: press service of the Lychakivskyi District Court of Lviv
Details: The court found the defendant guilty of committing criminal offences under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Article 109(3) (public calls for the violent change and overthrow of the constitutional order and the seizure of state power by a person who is a representative of the authorities, using the media)
- Article 111(1) (high treason, i.e. an act intentionally committed by a citizen of Ukraine to the detriment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability, defence capability, state, economic or information security of Ukraine by assisting a foreign state in conducting sabotage activities against Ukraine)
- Article 436-1(2) (public use of symbols of the communist totalitarian regime by a person who is a representative of the authorities)
- Article 436 (public calls for aggressive war)
Eventually, Kyva was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment with confiscation of his assets.
The criminal proceedings were conducted in the form of a special trial in the absence of the defendant (in absentia), as he is in hiding from the investigation and judicial authorities on the territory of the state recognised by the Verkhovna Rada as an aggressor state, namely the Russian Federation, and is also on an international wanted list.
The verdict may be appealed at the Lviv Court of Appeal within 30 days.
Background:
- Illia Kyva fled to Russia after the start of the full-scale war, where he made contact with Russian propagandists. From there he continued to insist that "the Ukrainian people need liberation" and "Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians are one nation".
- The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) deprived Kyva of his parliamentary mandate in March 2022.
- At the same time, Kyva was served with a notice of suspicion of encroachment on territorial integrity and high treason.
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