Viktor Medvedchuk

Viktor Volodymyrovych Medvedchuk (Ukrainian: Ві́ктор Володи́мирович Медведчу́к; born 7 August 1954) is a Ukrainian politician, lawyer and business oligarch.^[1][2] On 12 April 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine arrested Medvedchuk.^[3] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a photo of Medvedchuk in handcuffs wearing a Ukrainian military uniform.^[3]

Viktor Medvedchuk
Ві́ктор Медведчу́к
Medvedchuk in 2019
People's Deputy of Ukraine
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 August 2019
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine
In office 12 June 2002 – 21 January 2005
President	Leonid Kuchma
Preceded by	Volodymyr Lytvyn
Succeeded by	Oleksandr Zinchenko
Personal details
Born	Viktor Volodymyrovych Medvedchuk (1954-08-07) 7 August 1954 (age 70) Pochet, Abansky District, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Ukrainian
Political party	Opposition Platform — For Life
Other political affiliations	Ukrainian Choice
Spouse(s)	Marina Lebedeva (divorced) Natalya Gavrilyuk (divorced) Oksana Marchenko ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	2
Alma mater	Kyiv University (1978)
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Signature

Later in 2022, he was sent from Ukraine to Russia.

Biography

He has been a member of the Verkhovna Rada since 29 August 2019.

In February 2021, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine sanctioned him and his wife for giving money that supported terrorism in Ukraine.^[4] In May 2021, he was accused of treason. Medvedchuk has been under house arrest since 13 May 2021.^[5][6]

On 8 March 2022, Medvedchuk was removed as co-chairman of the political party Opposition Platform — For Life.^[7]

He is [no longer] the chairman of the pro-Russia political organization Ukrainian Choice.^[8]

Some have called him "Putin's closest ally in Ukraine".^[9]

References

1. Virtual Politics - Faking Democracy in the Post-Soviet World, Andrew Wilson, Yale University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-300-09545-7
2. Kinstler, Linda (28 May 2015). "The 12 people who ruined Ukraine". POLITICO.
3. Ukraine secret service says it has arrested top Putin ally, Reuters (12 April 2022)
   (in Ukrainian) The SBU caught Medvedchuk, Ukrayinska Pravda (12 April 2022)
4. (in Ukrainian) Youtube blocked the broadcast of Medvedchuk's channel, Ukrayinska Pravda (5 March 2021)
5. Court gives permission to detain Kozak, Ukrayinska Pravda (20 May 2021)
6. "Медведчуку продлили домашний арест".
7. (in Ukrainian) Boyko became the chairman of the political council of the OPZH. Medvedchuk was deprived of the post of co-chairman, Lb.ua [uk] (8 March 2022)
8. Kremlin-imposed "Ukrainian choice", The Ukrainian Week (3 July 2012).
   Playing opposition, Den (15 August 2013).
   Russia's Plan For Ukraine: Purported Leaked Strategy Document Raises Alarm, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (20 August 2013).
9. Stedman, Scott; Bernardini, Matt (30 April 2021). "Giuliani Probe Expands, Ukrainian Ally Under Criminal Investigation: Former Ukrainian politician Andrii Artemenko received a secret payment in 2019 from a television station owned by Putin's closest ally in Ukraine. The FBI is now investigating the Giuliani ally". Forensic News. Retrieved 22 February 2022.