The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk stated that about ten MPs from the banned faction "Opposition Platform — For Life" are currently abroad.
He told this to the Ukrainian Week.
"Some of them, supporting Russia, for some reason went to Europe — it remains a paradox for me. But I still hope that they will remember how they took the oath of the Member of Parliament of Ukraine, return home and appear before the Ukrainian court. And then they will receive the appropriate punishment and atone for their guilt," Stefanchuk said.
He added that these peopleʼs deputies do not receive a salary. In addition, there are no deputies among them who have been "on a business trip" since the first days of the full-scale offensive. Member of Parliament Vadym Rabinovych used to cover up such a thing — in early March he said that he was in Israel, and flew there "at the official invitation of parliament."
Stefanchuk also said that two other peopleʼs deputies are in the occupied territories, but they are not there of their own free will. The Chairman of the Council says that there is no comprehensive information about them.
- On March 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine had suspended a number of parties with ties to Russia during martial law. These parties include the Opposition Platform for Life and the Shariyʼs Party. After that, the activities of the OPZZh were stopped in the Rada and in a number of city councils.