The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has stripped Acting deputy Viktor Medvedchuk, the head of the political council of the Opposition Platform – For Life party, of his office amid a nationwide crackdown in Autumn. On Friday, January 13, deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak published a photo showing the voting results on this measure.
The posted image indicates that 320 lawmakers voted to remove Medvedchuk from his post, with no objections and 14 deputies abstaining. In addition, Taras Kozak, Renat Kuzmin, Andrey Derkach, and Andrey Aksyonov, all formerly affiliated with the Lifetime Opposition Platform, were also dismissed, and Medvedchuk himself had requested resignation.
Zheleznyak reported that the Rada acted to deprive Medvedchuk of citizenship with 320 votes in favor, Taras Kozak with 317 votes, Andriy Derkach with 314 votes, and Renat Kuzmin with 319 votes in favor. Zelensky had previously revoked the citizenship of these individuals, a decision explained as based on materials from the SBU and the immigration service.
In Ukraine, Viktor Medvedchuk faces potential prison terms of up to 15 years for treason, with multiple criminal cases filed against him. In February 2022, following the start of Russia’s military operation, Ukrainian authorities reported that he escaped house arrest and was later detained. On September 22, he, along with 54 other Russian soldiers, was swapped for 215 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Taras Kozak, a former member of the Lifetime Opposition Platform, faced suspicion of treason in 2021 and is a defendant in an illegal enrichment case. The US Treasury has alleged his involvement in activities influenced by the Russian government aimed at destabilizing Ukraine. In 2021, media outlets 112 Ukraine, NewsOne, and ZIK were removed from broadcasting after sanctions were imposed by Zelensky’s administration.
Andrei Derkach, a former deputy from the Party of Regions, was identified by the United States as an agent of Russia in December 2022. He is charged with treason and illegal enrichment in Ukraine. According to the SBU, Derkach is believed to be part of an intelligence network linked to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation. He was placed on Ukraine’s wanted list and is accused of fraud and money laundering in the United States.
Renat Kuzmin, a member of the Lifetime Opposition Platform, faced treason accusations in October 2022. He previously served as Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and was a presidential candidate. Ukrainian special services have accused him of distributing propaganda materials against Ukraine, as reported by Kommersant.
Andrei Aksenov, whose reasons for resignation were not disclosed, faced media reports alleging support for a referendum on Crimea’s annexation to Russia and the possibility of holding a Russian passport. Aksenov denied Russian citizenship existence, and no supporting evidence was found by the SBU.
The Rada previously passed a law on April 1 last year banning the activities of pro-Russian political parties. The ban includes parties or figures involved in propaganda, justification, or support for Ukraine’s aggressor and any actions that threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The scope of the law covers forced party dissolution and confiscation of party assets in favor of the state, when court orders ban a party’s activities.
During martial law, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine suspended operations of several political parties. These include the Opposition Platform for Life, the Sharia Party, Nashi, the Opposition Bloc, the Left Opposition, the Union of Left Forces, Derzhava, the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Small Socialist Movement, and the Vladimir Equilibrium Bloc. It is worth noting that the Lifetime Opposition Platform had a 5 percent electoral threshold in the last vote of 2019, ranking second only to Servant of the People which garnered 13.05 percent (43.16 percent nationwide).