Ukraine: Kononovich brothers' released from prison, placed under house arrest

The First Secretary of the Leninist Communist Youth Union of Ukraine Mikhail Kononovich and his brother Aleksander, also a Komsomol member and anti-fascist activist, who had been arrested, tortured and imprisoned in Kiev, Ukraine, in March 2022, have been released from pre-trial detention and are currently under house arrest by court decision, the Belarusian news portal «sb.by» reported.

Lyudmila Gladkaya, journalist of «sb.by» portal suspects that the prosecution and the court simply cannot present any verifiable violations of the law and therefore have to backtrack on certain aspects. For example, in several court sessions, announced prosecution witnesses simply did not show up. 

«Sb.by» reports that Mikhail Kononovich stated that the transformation from pre-trial detention to house arrest was highly unexpected. They found themselves in front of the court building with his lawyer, practically without keys or winter clothes. House arrest, combined with the use of an electronic anklet, prevents them from looking for work, although documentation has not been withheld so far.

The next court hearing is scheduled for December 14.

It is reminded that under the pretext of false and groundless accusations, the two brothers, members of the Leninist Communist Youth Union of Ukraine  were arrested on March 7th, 2022 and tortured in a Kiev detention center.Since then, numerous Communist Parties and Youth organizations from all over the world, including the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) have demanded their immediate release. 

Additionally, "In Defense of Communism" has created an online petition demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Mikhail and Aleksander Kononovich: https://www.change.org/p/freedom-to-mikhail-and-alexander-kononovich

IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©