‘Ukrainian lawyer’ to face trial for publicly supporting Russian aggression

A well-known Ukrainian lawyer turned pro-Russian propagandist is to be tried in court on charges of sedition, rejecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, collaboration, and justifying Russian aggression.

According to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general, since March 2022 the accused has repeatedly spoken of "the socio-political situation in Ukraine" on Russian propaganda channels.

"By ideologically justifying the existence of the self-proclaimed ‘republics’ [Donetsk and Luhansk ‘people’s republics’], she justifies the military aggression of the Russian Federation; publicly calls for violent change or overthrow of Ukraine's constitutional order, change of the state border of Ukraine," the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general said in a statement published on Thursday.

While the name of the accused is not mentioned, earlier this year Ukraine’s security services announced that they were investigating pro-Kremlin propagandist Tetiana Montian, who publicly justifies Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.

Ms Montian is a Ukrainian lawyer who used to be widely credited for her opposition to the regime of former president Viktor Yanukovych.

She, however, supported terrorist organisations in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2014.

It is believed that Ms Montian moved to Russia in 2021.