05 July 2025
(COLLAGE: Radio Liberty)
Law enforcers served a notice of suspicion to a deputy from Kherson region for supporting Russian aggression and demonstrating banned symbols. In an appeal from the occupied territory, he complained that he was forced to "speak Ukrainian" in Ukraine.
This is stated in the suspicion of the Prosecutor General's Office.
The Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office served a notice of suspicion to Oleksandr Ponomaryov, a deputy of the Genichesk City Council of the Kherson Region of the VIII convocation.
His actions were classified under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - Part 2 of Article 436-1 (public use of symbols of the communist totalitarian regime by a government official) and Part 1 of Article 436-2 (justification of Russia's armed aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories).
The investigation established that in August 2023, Ponomarev, while in the temporarily occupied territory of the village of Strilkove, Henichesk district, publicly used the prohibited symbols of the communist regime.
He recorded a video message to citizens in which he congratulated them on the "Day of the Flag of the Russian Federation," made propaganda statements and appeared in a T-shirt with a picture of a hammer and sickle, an open book and the words "Communist Party of the Russian Federation," "Russia," "labor," "socialism," and "people's power." The examination confirmed that these were symbols of the communist totalitarian regime, which is banned in Ukraine.
In an address published by pro-Russian telegram channels on August 23, 2023, Ponomarev also supported Russian aggression and the occupation of part of Ukraine.
He openly called himself a "true Russian man," said that he had raised a Russian flag over his house, and stated that he was running for "deputy" to "fight fascism." He also stated that in Ukraine he was "forced to speak Ukrainian, think Ukrainian," cases were opened against him, and explosives were thrown into his yard - all of which, in his opinion, is a consequence of Ukrainian state policy.
According to the Genichesk TEC, Ponomaryov was elected as a deputy in the first elections to the Genichesk City Council in 2020 from the Opposition Platform - For Life party.
The case is being investigated by the prosecutor's office, and the defendant faces criminal liability for public support of the aggressor state and propaganda of a prohibited ideology.
According to the CHESNO Movement, in 2023, the SBU and the State Bureau of Investigation notified Oleksandr Ponomaryov of suspicion of treason. In particular, his factories produced fuel and lubricants for Russian military equipment. In 2024, the case was brought to court.
Also, a former lawyer of Medvedchuk and Shariy was sentenced to 10 years in prison for collaborating with the occupiers in Kherson region. He created fake authorities and promoted Kremlin projects of "external governance" of Ukraine.
Анна Бальчінос