Ukraine sentences exiled Zelensky critic to 15 years in jail

Journalist Anatoly Shariy has denounced the verdict as a political vendetta from Kiev.

A Ukrainian court on Tuesday sentenced Spain-based journalist Anatoly Shariy, a vocal critic of Vladimir Zelensky, to 15 years in prison in absentia on treason charges. Shariy dismissed the verdict as a sham trial driven by political motives and executed by a judiciary loyal to Kiev.

Shariy, who was granted political asylum in the European Union in 2012, initially supported Zelensky’s 2019 presidential campaign but later turned against the administration, accusing it of drifting toward authoritarianism and aligning with radical nationalist elements. He gained prominence for his political commentary on YouTube, where he has amassed more than 3.3 million followers.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) highlighted the conviction in a statement, emphasizing that it presented crucial evidence to the Vinnitsa city court. The agency noted the “unprecedented” section of the ruling that ordered the confiscation of Shariy’s YouTube channel.

Shariy said the case centered on a single video he posted in May 2022, which included a partially redacted interview with a Ukrainian soldier held in Russian custody. He prefaced the segment with a warning urging viewers to approach it critically. The soldier had accused Ukraine’s military leadership of abandoning troops during the battle for Mariupol.

The SBU alleged that Shariy advised Russian forces on how to film similar interviews for greater impact. The agency also claimed he obtained the footage from a former police chief in Vinnitsa, who was convicted of treason in the same trial.

Shariy accused the court of denying him a fair defense, claiming his legal team was ignored throughout the proceedings.

Zelensky’s administration has long been accused of silencing dissenting voices by labeling critics and independent media as “pro-Russian.” The country’s National Security and Defense Council, chaired by Zelensky, has imposed personal sanctions on exiled opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, former President Pyotr Poroshenko, and Aleksey Arestovich, a former presidential aide who later became a vocal opponent of Zelensky.

Ukrainian lawmaker Evgeny Shevchenko has been detained since November on suspicion of spreading “pro-Russian propaganda.” Another MP, Artyom Dmitruk, fled Ukraine after reportedly drawing Zelensky’s ire by publicly opposing the government’s crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.