Oleksandr Dubinsky, a lawmaker charged with treason, claimed on Dec. 2 that he had been beaten and injured at a pre-trial detention facility.
Dubinsky, a populist politician who promotes pro-Russian narratives, used to be an ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky and previously represented his Servant of the People party in parliament. Later he became one of Zelensky's major critics and was expelled from the party in 2021.
According to a statement on Dubinsky's Telegram channel, he was heavily bruised, and the unknown assailants possibly cracked his rib. An ambulance was summoned.
Police told Ukrainska Pravda they are looking into the incident.
The MP demanded the presence of the chief of Kyiv's pre-trial detention center and a reaction from Justice Minister Denys Maliuska, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
Dubinsky's lawyers also demanded his immediate transfer to a different detention facility, saying his life was threatened.
Four years ago, Dubinsky assisted Rudy Giuliani in his unsuccessful efforts to uncover information about Joe Biden at the behest of then-President Donald Trump. He's been accused of collaborating to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
In August, the lawmaker was charged with forging documents in order to leave Ukraine.
At the start of November, he was also charged with helping his partner's brother illegally cross the border and flee to a European country.
In mid-November, he was arrested and charged with treason and taking part in a criminal organization. The Pechersk District Court in Kyiv approved detaining Dubinsky for 60 days.
The State Investigation Bureau and the Security Service of Ukraine said that Dubinsky, former pro-Russian MP Andriy Derkach and other suspects had been working with Russian intelligence services to spread fakes. Their purpose was to discredit Ukraine, the Ukrainian government and the West, according to the investigators.
Dubinsky, along with his mother and now ex-wife, engaged in high-risk financial transactions from 2008 to 2023, according to the investigators.
These transactions substantially surpass their officially declared income, suggesting potential involvement in money laundering through the acquisition of highly liquid assets and the transfer of funds to deposit accounts, according to the investigators.
A total of 39 real estate objects, in particular, 23 apartments in Kyiv, eight land plots, two houses in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast and 15 cars belonging to Dubinsky and his family members, were seized.
Alexander Khrebet
(Updated: )
