A Ukrainian court has sentenced socialist activist Bogdan Syrotiuk to 15 years in prison on charges of high treason, in a case his supporters denounce as part of a broader crackdown on political dissent in Zelensky's Ukraine.
Syrotiuk, 27, was convicted on August 10 for allegedly assisting Russia in its war against Ukraine. According to his supporters, however, the prosecution’s case rested largely on six articles he wrote for the trotskyite World Socialist Web Site (WSWS).
Syrotiuk, 27, was convicted on August 10 for allegedly assisting Russia in its war against Ukraine. According to his supporters, however, the prosecution’s case rested largely on six articles he wrote for the trotskyite World Socialist Web Site (WSWS).
Those articles explicitly criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin and condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while also directing sharp criticism at the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Syrotiuk is a member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a trotskyite political organisation. According to his supporters, the court also ordered the destruction of the organisation’s political literature. Concerns have also been raised over his health, with supporters warning that his condition has deteriorated in detention and that the conditions in Ukraine’s prison system could pose a serious threat to his life.
The case comes against the backdrop of an increasingly restrictive climate for political opposition in Ukraine, where the authorities have actively targeted dissident and anti-regime currents, with communists among those facing particularly severe repression. One of the most prominent examples is the case of communist activists Mikhail and Alexander Kononovich, who were arrested in 2022 and charged with actions aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order. Their prosecution has continued for years, accompanied by prolonged restrictions on their liberty; the brothers themselves maintain that the case is politically motivated. Ukrainian media have confirmed that their proceedings have remained before the courts and that they have spent extended periods under house arrest.
Against this wider background, Syrotiuk’s 15-year sentence has renewed concerns over restrictions on political activity, freedom of expression and the use of wartime legislation against ideological opponents of the reactionary Ukrainian regime.
Syrotiuk is a member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a trotskyite political organisation. According to his supporters, the court also ordered the destruction of the organisation’s political literature. Concerns have also been raised over his health, with supporters warning that his condition has deteriorated in detention and that the conditions in Ukraine’s prison system could pose a serious threat to his life.
The case comes against the backdrop of an increasingly restrictive climate for political opposition in Ukraine, where the authorities have actively targeted dissident and anti-regime currents, with communists among those facing particularly severe repression. One of the most prominent examples is the case of communist activists Mikhail and Alexander Kononovich, who were arrested in 2022 and charged with actions aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order. Their prosecution has continued for years, accompanied by prolonged restrictions on their liberty; the brothers themselves maintain that the case is politically motivated. Ukrainian media have confirmed that their proceedings have remained before the courts and that they have spent extended periods under house arrest.
Against this wider background, Syrotiuk’s 15-year sentence has renewed concerns over restrictions on political activity, freedom of expression and the use of wartime legislation against ideological opponents of the reactionary Ukrainian regime.
