Ukraine to prosecute deceased Russian politician over claims of financing terrorism
(MENAFN) A Ukrainian court is set to begin proceedings against the late Russian ultranationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, nearly three years after his death. A local outlet reported Tuesday that the Shevchenko District Court in Kiev will hear the case on Friday.
Zhirinovsky, a longtime leader of Russia’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), died of COVID-19 in April 2022. Despite this, Ukrainian prosecutors are pursuing charges of financing terrorism against him and several LDPR members, including Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov and State Duma lawmaker Aleksey Didenko.
The charges date back to 2017, when Ukrainian authorities accused LDPR figures of providing material support to the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), a breakaway region in eastern Ukraine. The DPR, along with several other territories, later held referendums to join Russia — votes Kiev and its Western allies consider illegitimate.
Before his death, Zhirinovsky had rejected the accusations as “idiotic,” claiming the LDPR’s fundraising activities were purely humanitarian. He also called for the dismissal of the Ukrainian prosecutors behind the case.
The unusual decision to move forward with a trial against a deceased person has drawn criticism and sparked questions about the legal and political motivations behind the move.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
