Tim Wikiriwhi

I face a prison sentence ranging from 15 years to life for a single interview. That’s Zelenskyу’s idea of democracy. The prosecutor assigned to my case is the same one prosecuting Ihor Kolomoisky. I never imagined I would have so much in common with Ihor Valeriyovych. I learned about the charges against me through the media. The statement issued by the Prosecutor General’s Office and the SBU reeks of 1937. Let me be clear: I am not accused of treason because of any ties to Russia — I have none. Nor am I accused of spreading Russian propaganda. I am accused because of words that Russia could potentially use. Just as Russia uses Zelensky’s words and those of every one of his cronies every single day. I am being prosecuted for saying that democracy and freedom of speech do not exist in Ukraine, that “the country is full of bans.” But isn't this very case proof that I was right? They now want to put me on an international wanted list. Imagine giving Interpol a good laugh. But there is nothing funny about this for Ukrainians. And this fight against the charges is about much more than simply preventing myself from becoming another inmate in a Ukrainian prison. It is about proving that Zelenskуy’s Ukraine has turned into a dictatorship, that it persecutes dissent and uses cruelty as a form of punishment. This fight is also about standing up for the biblical words: “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” And: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”