Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has initiated treason protocols against Iuliia Mendel, the former press secretary of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mendel served as press secretary from 2019 to 2021 and has since become a prominent critic of the war and the Kyiv government, advocating for a negotiated agreement with Russia.
The Prosecutor General's Office alleges that Mendel used her publicity to spread information beneficial to Russia, aimed at discrediting Ukraine and weakening its international support. The notification of suspicion is based on Mendel's public statements in foreign media and social networks, including an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.
In the interview, Mendel stated that Ukraine is on the verge of extinction and that there is no democracy or freedom of speech in the country. The prosecutor's office claims that these statements are evidence of high treason and justification of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.
Mendel has been living abroad since her interview with Carlson, citing fear for her safety. The notice of suspicion was delivered "in absentia," and the Security Service of Ukraine has vowed to return her to Ukraine. Mendel recently spoke before the German Bundestag, where she discussed her experience and criticized the Ukrainian government's actions.
The case against Mendel is ongoing, and it remains to be seen how it will develop. The Ukrainian government's actions against Mendel have raised concerns about freedom of speech and the treatment of critics in Ukraine.