Medvedchuk's house arrest extended until March 10 - Prosecutor General's Office

Kyiv's Pechersky District Court, at the request of prosecutors, has extended the measure of restraint for Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk, a suspect in the case of treason and aiding and abetting terrorist organizations, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office has said in a post on Telegram.

"The suspect will stay under round-the-clock house arrest until March 10, 2022," the report said.

The PGO recalled that as part of the criminal proceedings, the measure of restraint for the MP was first chosen on October 12, 2021, valid until November 19, 2021.

On November 16, 2021, the measure of restraint was extended until January 14, 2022.

On January 10, 2022, the court decision extended the MP's house arrest for a further two months.

"Therefore, the term of the suspect staying under house arrest in these criminal proceedings will be about five months as of March 10, 2022. The Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that house arrest cannot exceed six months during a pretrial investigation," the prosecutor's office said.

Medvedchuk is suspected of colluding with Ukrainian officials to break a contract for coal supplies from South Africa at the start of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The investigation also believes that Medvedchuk was involved in organizing a scheme to smuggle coal from non-government-controlled areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with pro-Russian terrorists receiving more than UAH 200 million. On December 17, Kyiv Court of Appeal ruled to leave Medvedchuk under round-the-clock house arrest in the case.

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