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A Ukrainian social media blogger has been detained for treason for “supporting” the Russian invasion, the country’s SBU security service said on Thursday, and could face up to 15 years in jail.
“The special services have stopped the activities of a scandalous ‘journalist’ who was engaged in activities detriment to Ukraine’s information security,” the SBU’s Lviv branch said on Facebook.
“Exploiting the media, the traitor supported the criminal actions of the aggressor country,” it said.
It alleged that the man’s material had been “successfully used by Russian media to justify criminal actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine”.
Ukrainian media identified the man as 33-year-old Gleb Lyashenko, saying he had been taken into custody, with a bail of four million hryvnias (around $135,500 dollars, 122,000 euros) for his release.
The treason charges he was detained on carry a sentence of between 10 and 15 years in prison.
According to the censor.net website, Lyashenko said in court that he only wanted “peace” and called for freedom of expression.
Ukraine on Wednesday announced the first indictment of a citizen for collaborating with Russian forces, under a new law that could lead to sentences of up to 12 years in prison.