Medvedchuk asks to exchange him for Mariupol defenders and residents

OPFL People's Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk turned to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and president of rf vladimir putin with a proposal to exchange him for Mariupol defenders and residents.

He said this in his video statement posted by the SSU.

He noted that the people in Mariupol are under a blockade and have no safe way out through humanitarian corridors.

"I, Medvedchuk Viktor Volodymyrovych, want to appeal the president of russian federation vladimir putin and to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a request to exchange me for the defenders and residents of Mariupol, which are currently in the city and have no means to leave safely through humanitarian corridors," Medvedchuk said.

We remind that russia's aggression has caused one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophies in Mariupol. The invaders are bombing civillians, blocking the humanitarian aid deliveries, forcefully moving Ukrainians to russian territory, and deliberately ruining the city.

In the meantime, according to different estimations, there are around 120 thousand civillians in beseiged Mariupol, and the city is being defended by members of Azov Batallion and the 36th marine brigade, the SSU notes.

As IMI has reported, Viktor Medvedchuk had been under house arrest, but before the start of the full-scale invasion he disappeared and was in hiding. According to UP, law enforcers had intelligence that the suspect had left his estate around February 24, turned off his phones and had not been in touch since. On March 18, 2022, the Lychakiv District Court of Lviv chose detention as preventive measure for Viktor Medvedchuk.

Medvedchuk is suspected of treason and aiding terrorism.

The SSU detained Medvedchuk on April 12. On April 13, Lychakiv District Court of Lviv arrested 154 more items of movable and immovable property of People's Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk and his wife Oksana Marchenko.

On April 16, the Lychakiv District Court of Lviv chose detention as preventive measure for Viktor Medvedchuk.