The State Bureau of Investigation has announced suspicions of treason against Vadim Novinsky. Here are the details.

A former people's deputy from several convocations, who was a member of the "Party of Regions" and the "Opposition Bloc," has been notified in absentia by the GDBR in cooperation with the SBU of suspicion regarding treason and incitement of religious hatred. This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigations on Saturday, January 18.

The name of the suspect has not been disclosed by law enforcement. However, as reported by the "We Are Ukraine" TV channel, the individual in question is Vadim Novinsky.

According to the investigation, since the onset of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the suspect has promoted Russian narratives through public speeches, interviews, social media, and his personal website. He contributed to the formation of anti-government sentiments among Ukrainians, justified the actions of the aggressor, and supported Russian propaganda. The deputy attempted to instill anti-government and pro-Russian sentiments in Ukrainian society while justifying Russian aggression, claim the GDBR.

"The pro-Russian deputy followed the directives of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev), maintained close communication with him for an extended period, and was hierarchically subordinate to him, effectively acting as a 'curator' from the Russian Orthodox Church and representing a foreign religious organization in Ukraine," the statement reads.

After the start of the full-scale war by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the suspect relinquished his deputy powers. As noted by the SBU, the individual left for the European Union on a charter flight, where he continued to operate in the interests of the Russian Federation.

According to the case materials, he utilized the religious communities under his control in EU countries to further "amplify" Russian propaganda. Specifically, the investigation found that he attracted foreign parishioners to discredit Ukraine on the international stage.

Conducted judicial psychological-linguistic examinations confirmed the facts of his activities in the interests of the Russian Federation.

He has been notified in absentia of the suspicion of:

• treason (part 1 of article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine);
• violating the equality of citizens based on their racial, national, regional affiliation, and religious beliefs, committed by a public official (part 2 of article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The maximum penalty is up to 15 years of imprisonment with or without confiscation of property.

Recall that on January 18, the SBU reported suspicion against former leading figures of Viktor Medvedchuk's channels and Evgeny Murayev, Max Nazarov. According to the investigation, after the onset of the full-scale war, he created his own YouTube channel, where he continued to disseminate Kremlin narratives.