Court arrests Semenchenko without right to post bail
Pechersky District Court of Kyiv at a session on Friday chose a measure of restraint in form of arrest for two months for former MP of Ukraine Semen Semenchenko, suspected of involvement in the creation of an illegal military armed formation.
"The court has just decided to send me to jail," he said in a video message on his Facebook page on Friday evening.
Semenchenko called his arrest "a provocation of the special services of the Russian Federation," which wants to end the activities of the campaign that fought against Wagner PMC abroad.
"It [Russia] wants the volunteers to be slandered and behind bars," Semenchenko said.
The former MP said that he bailed "a lot of people." "Now, apparently, it is my turn," he said.
Later, Semenchenko wrote on his page that he was "going to jail," but did not plead guilty.
"I am going to jail. I deny all the accusations and the dirt that were prepared especially for this day. May those, who will be after us, be smarter and do not believe in their own state so much," he wrote.
Semenchenko also asked to help his family. "Please help my family," he wrote.
As reported, on March 24, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) exposed and blocked the activities of an illegal military armed formation, the so-called "private military company", which activities were aimed at preparing for the commission of serious crimes, including against the foundations of national security.
According to the investigation of the SBU Regional Department in Kyiv and Kyiv region, the organizers of the group's activities were former MP of Ukraine Semen Semenchenko and agent of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau Yevhen Shevchenko.