In 2014 Maidan won in Ukraine. The country made its choice — European way of development. The life of ordinary Ukrainian is getting increasingly better — at least this is what Poroshenko, Yatsenyuk and their wing men. With particular pride they inform about the next IMF loan, which is expected to reanimate the economy of Ukraine. However none of them is going to tell the people that this loan will result in catastrophe, the inevitable collapse. What does the USA strictly demand in return for their billions? According with the agreement with the IMF, about 230 thousand state workers should be dismissed in Ukraine; the cost of gas will rise 4-6 times, and the retirement age increased to 65. Setting aside manifold growth f prices of food and medicines and the fact that social payments and salaries have not only failed to grow, but significantly reduced. Well, Ukrainian people are patient, and they will stoically endure all the hardships, if only there is no war. Nevertheless the war is going on. And Poroshenko’s government directs all funds to sponsor the bloody bath in the East.
Certainly, there are still people in Ukraine, who blindly believe in the promises of politicians, but some have insight into what is going on. There are also those few, who do not fear to tell people the truth and criticize the authorities (theirs is freedom of speech in the country, indeed) in all kinds of ways. Nevertheless, the cost of speaking the truth is very high in Ukraine.
On February 6 agents of Security Service of Ukraine detained 22-year-old dweller of Zaporozhye Maksim Grindyuk. He was incarcerated due to a seemingly innocent act of pasting up leaflets. In one of them he expressed his “gratitude” to Maidan activists and pointed out to real prices and sizes of pensions. He is charged with aiding terrorism and establishment of a terrorist organization. The investigators called the leaflets “anti-Ukrainian propaganda material”, which had been “formed by representatives of the DPR”.
Nevertheless there is something else. The greatest Maksim’s fault is that he has a sister, who is living and working in the DPR — now people are jailed for such connections in “Democratic Ukraine”. Anna, the detained man’s sister, says that her brother has nothing to do with the DPR: “I live in Donetsk and work in Donetsk! I have reference to the Republic, as I work at a Ministry! What has by brother to do with it, I cannot understand, as well as thousands of adequate people in Ukraine cannot grasp it! My father and mother also live in Zaporozhye! Will they also get jailed on some pretext?”
Maksim did not plead guilty. Nevertheless, according to the SSU claim, he had been recruited long ago and received secret assignments from the authorities of the DPR: for example, to propagate the ideas and symbols of the DPR, facilitate the wreck of mobilization in the region, form protest sentiments in the society. The problem is that the only evidence of the covert activity is the leaflets. Thus, they became the ground for keeping him in predetention center for 60 days. And then court hearing will take place in accordance with Part 1of article 258-3 of Ukrainian Criminal Code (establishment of a terrorist group or organization), as a result o which he can be convicted to the term of 8 up to 15 years of prison with property confiscation or without it.
Lawyer, politician and human rights activist Tatyana Montyan, known for her severe criticism of the present-day “honest” authorities, commented on the depredation of democratic Ukrainian Themice on her page in Facebook. She posted the court’s resolution and claimed that no lawyer in Zaporozhye is willing to defend the man.
Anatoliy Shariy – Ukrainian blogger, journalist and media expert, also commented on the travesty of justice. Shariy is closely acquainted with Ukrainian legal system, as in 2012 he acquired a status of a political refugee in the EU. In his blog he writes: “Today court proceedings became ten times more depredated. I have never seen such anarchy, such careless dealing with evidence, such replacement of evidence with insinuations. Pasting of leaflets, which contained NO appeals, just statement of a fact that no one can live on a pension cannot be viewed as terrorism, not according to ANY law”.
Unfortunately, Maksim Grindyuk is not the only victim of political repressions on the part of Kiev junta. The list of victims of the most democratic authorities that had been popularly known as the prisoners of Maidan is quite long. The most covered one is the case of journalist and public activist Ruslan Kotsaba, who had publicly refused to be enlisted. Today he is held in a predetenton prison and is charged with treason, although he never committed any violence, and the fact of his cooperation with foreign special services has not been proved.
Ukraine today stigmatizes many people with the label of “the enemy of the people”. Denis Chubakha, Yevgeniy Simutin, Ruslan Alimov, Inga Avdeyeva and many others had already suffered from those, who are in favour of the “European way of development”. Some of them were fortunate to have been let out of exchanged for the captured military men, but not everyone was that lucky.
The histories of Maksim Grindyuk and other political prisoners one more time prove that Maidan that was held among other slogans, under the logos of struggle against censorship and for the freedom of speech, in reality caused even greater dependence of Ukrainians from officials and oligarchs. The population is being intimidated, and it is done whenever possible — any attempt to criticize the power structures or publicize facts in regard to the situation of the front line contrasting with the untruthful statements of the authorities is fraught with loss of one’s job in the least and in most cases – with charges of terrorism and treason. In the worst case one can receive a long prison term.
Notably, if this happened in the times when “bloody” Yanukovich was President, the country would have been overwhelmed with righteous popular wrath. EU and the US will immediately express their concern. Nevertheless the people, who yesterday fought for freedom and social criticism are either themselves taking part in repressions against the dissenters, or simply ignore the facts. And foreign public figures are turning a blind eye to such facts, because this is done with their silent consent and sponsored by them.
It was “bloody” Yanukovuch, who could be labeled a criminal, caps thief, criticize him for the dollar rate of 8 Hryvnyas, be indignant because of prices, gather Maidan rallies because of the delay in signing the Association Agreement, beat riot policemen, and in spite of this claim that there was no freedom of speech in Ukraine. Under democratic Poroshenko everything is banned. Congratulations, you’ve obtained freedom!
Anton Rozenvain
