By KYIV. Nov 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The court sentenced in absentia to 11 years in prison the Crimean “senator” Olga Kovitidi, who was found guilty of collaboration and justification, recognition of the lawfulness of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants, the press service of the Kyiv-based prosecutor’s office for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported on the Telegram channel.
“After Russia’s full-scale invasion of the territory of Ukraine, the convict repeatedly spoke in the propaganda media of the aggressor state. In her speeches, she publicly supported the illegal actions of the occupiers and called the war unleashed by the Russian Federation ‘saving the population from fascist ideology.’ ‘Senator’ repeatedly called for the need to intensify the ‘special operation’ and emphasized that this was being done for the purpose of ‘cleansing the filth.’ In her speeches, the occupation official supported the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity on Ukrainian territory by the Russian army, and also expressed gratitude to the ‘defenders’ and “’iberators,’” the message reads.
Since the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Armed Forces in 2014, the accused went over to the side of the enemy and actively began to build her “career.” First, she held the position of member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia from the occupation administration of the Russian Federation in Crimea; in 2019, she was reappointed.
The indictment for the commission of high treason by the indicated person is pending before the court.
As reported, on October 12, 2022, Olga Kovitidi was informed of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (justification, recognition of lawful armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants and Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaboration activities).
On January 23, 2023, the prosecutor’s office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol completed the investigation and sent the case materials to the court.
