Jailed Ukrainian MP Dubinsky charged in new state treason case
Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General has filed a new state treason charge against a sitting member of the Verkhovna Rada's ninth convocation, with MP Oleksandr Dubinsky confirming the charges apply to him, according to statements from the PGO and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
Investigators allege the suspect used his personal Telegram channel, Facebook, and Instagram accounts to spread pro-Russian narratives and assist "the aggressor state in conducting subversive activities against Ukraine."
According to the SBI, the suspect was already being held in pretrial detention but allegedly continued spreading anti-state propaganda even from custody. Investigators say he used his attorneys' laptops during meetings to draft texts, record videos, store materials, and leave instructions on what to publish and where.
The attorneys then passed those materials to his wife, who currently lives in Barcelona and manages his social media accounts.
Prosecutors, working alongside law enforcement, reviewed more than 50 video addresses and posts published on the politician's Telegram channel, social media pages, and other platforms, including Russian ones.
"Their content was primarily aimed at undermining public trust in state institutions, discrediting Ukraine's foreign and domestic policy, and creating conditions to disrupt mobilization efforts," the prosecutors said in a statement.
Dubinsky confirmed in a statement that he had indeed been served with an additional charge and said searches were being conducted at the pretrial detention facility and at his attorneys' offices.
He was charged under Part 2, Article 28 and Part 2, Article 111 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which carry a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
Background on the charges against Dubinsky
Dubinsky is facing charges in two separate cases. The first involves an alleged scheme to help draft-age men flee the country. Investigators say he illegally facilitated the transport of his common-law wife's brother to Moldova, using a civil society organization under his control called "Media Defense" to register individuals in the government's Shlyakh system under the false pretense of volunteer status.
The second charge accuses him of state treason. According to investigators, Dubinsky operated under the call sign "Buratino" and was a member of a criminal organization created by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, also known as the GRU. His alleged role was to spread disinformation targeting Ukraine's senior military and political leadership.
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