Mick Wallace Condemns Ukraine's Treatment of Communist Activists
Mick Wallace criticised political repression in Ukraine after the Security Services arrested the First Secretary of the Ukrainian Komsomol, Mikhail Kononovich, and his brother Alexander on the 6th of March last year. He said the brothers were accused of treason and spreading pro-Russian views, were subjected to physical and psychological torture, and he called for their release.
Arrest and alleged torture
On the 6th of March last year the Security Services of Ukraine arrested Mikhail Kononovich, the First Secretary of the Ukrainian Komsomol, and his brother Alexander. Wallace said they were accused of treason and spreading pro-Russian views and were subjected to physical and psychological torture - beatings, lashings, sleep deprivation and threats of execution.
Wider political repression
Wallace described political repression of communists, peace activists and progressive forces as common in both Ukraine and Russia. He highlighted what he called a double standard - that similar acts are condemned in Russia but presented as democratic in Ukraine.
Accession, corruption and far-right concerns
He noted Member States are divided on speeding up accession for Ukraine and criticised levels of corruption as "comical". Wallace said the Zelensky government empowers far-right extremists and neo-Nazis, is destroying workers' rights and has banned 12 opposition parties.
Call for release
Wallace urged that the oppression should not be ignored and proposed starting by calling for the immediate release of the Kononovich brothers.
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Mr. President, on the 6th of March last year, the Security Services of Ukraine arrested the First Secretary of the Ukrainian Komsomol, Mikhail Kononovich and his brother Alexander. They were accused of treason and spreading pro-Russian views. These two young communists are subjected to physical and psychological torture, beatings, lashings, sleep deprivation and threats of execution. Political repression of communists, peace activists and progressive forces, is common in both Ukraine and Russia. If Russians do it, it's a travesty. Yet when Ukrainians do it, they're spreading democracy and representing European values. Member States are divided on speeding up accession for Ukraine, and rightly so. The levels of corruption is comical. The Zelensky government empowers far-right extremists and neo-Nazis, while destroying workers' rights and banning 12 opposition parties, and, as we can see from the case of the Kononovich brothers, are busy persecuting them. We cannot just ignore this oppression. We can start by calling for the release of these two men.
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