Pro-russian blogger Anatoly Shariy, suspected of treason, has been arrested in Spain.
The arrest took place on 4 May and was conducted by Spanish law enforcers, the SSU press service said.
“This arrest is another evidence that every traitor to Ukraine will sooner or later receive the punishment he deserves, it is inevitable,” SSU stressed.
Anatoly Shariy is suspected of two articles: high treason (Article 111) and violation of equality of citizens based on their race, nationality, religious beliefs, disability and other characteristics (161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
“According to SSU investigators, he conducted illegal activities to the detriment of the national security of Ukraine in the information sphere. There is reason to believe that Anatoly Shariy acted on the order of foreign structures. The evidence of the investigation was confirmed by several expert studies, which established that in interviews and speeches of Shariy there are facts of his subversive activities against Ukraine,” SSU explained.
Last year there was announced an apprehension to Shariy under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Anatoly Shariy is a former journalist and, after leaving Ukraine for the EU, a blogger and founder of a political party named after himself. In February 2021, Shariy received an apprehension under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Several expert studies have established that the blogger's interviews and speeches contain evidence of subversive activities against Ukraine. The investigation believes that since 2012 he has been assisting non-governmental and state structures of russia in conducting information operations.
Shariy was summoned several times to participate in the interrogation as a suspect, but he did not show up. The SSU regarded his failure to appear for interrogation as concealment from the investigation. The lawyer reported that Shariy is in the territory of the European Union and has refugee status, so his return to Ukraine is not yet possible.
After the second failure to appear, Shariy was put on the state wanted list.
On March 1, 2021, the SSU reported that they sent requests for international legal assistance and the necessary materials to the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office to organize and conduct investigative actions in other countries in the criminal proceedings against Anatoly Shariy.
After russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the activities of Shariy's party were stopped along with other pro-russian political parties. He has not been to Ukraine since 2012. He left after a criminal case was initiated against him for threatening with a weapon during a domestic conflict with a customer of a fast-food restaurant. An investigation was also initiated against him for possibly staging an assassination attempt for himself.