A court in Kyiv has banned the pro-Russian political party led by the incarcerated “Putin-friendly” politician Viktor Medvedchuk: Opposition Platform — For Life (OPZZh).
Ukraine’s justice ministry stated the Eighth Administrative Court of Appeals handed down the judgment on June 20, saying that the State Treasury would seize the OPZZh’s property and assets.
The hearing lasted over five hours, and the decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court within 20 days.
The Ministry of Justice said, “The court decided to transfer this party’s property, funds, and other assets to state ownership. It also applies to regional, city, and district organizations of this political party, primary branches, and other structural entities.”
The OPZZh party was registered in December 1999. On November 5, 2018, Medvedchuk was elected chairman of the OPZZh party’s political council. In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the OPZZh party won 37 national seats and six constituency seats. Medvedchuk was elected People’s Deputy of Ukraine on August 29, 2019.
On February 19, 2021, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine included Medvedchuk and his wife, Oksana Marchenko, on the Ukrainian sanctions list, due to alleged “financing of terrorism.”
Ukraine froze Medvedchuk’s assets and took three television stations that belonged to him off the air for allegedly promoting “Russian propaganda.”
The party supported pro-Russian policies, but the OPZZh publicly condemned the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on March 8, 2022.
OPZZh’s activities were suspended on March 20 by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, which alleged that the party maintained ties to the Kremlin.
Medvedchuk was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine on charges of treason and financing terrorism on April 12.
Ukraine’s parliament dissolved the OPZZh party’s coalition two days later.
Medvedchuk is considered a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s youngest daughter.
Medvedchuk denies the charges against him and calls them politically motivated.