Yurchyshyn becomes new head of parliamentary committee on freedom of speech

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has appointed Yaroslav Yurchyshyn as chairman of the parliamentary committee on freedom of speech.

MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, 247 MPs voted in favor of the decision.

According to Zheleznyak, the committee now consists of four MPs: Chairman Yurchyshyn, Deputy Chairman Yevhen Brahar, secretary Serhiy Shvets, as well as Nestor Shufrych.

As reported by Ukrinform, based on the SBU materials, MP Shufrych, who until recently headed the parliamentary committee on freedom of speech, was served with a notice of suspicion under Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason). The sanction of the article provides for up to 15 years in prison.

According to the investigation, Shufrych worked closely with and fulfilled the tasks of former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Volodymyr Sivkovych, an agent of Russia’s FSB, whose task was to coordinate Russian agents in Ukraine.

On November 10, the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv City extended Shufrych's preventive measure in the form of detention until December 15.