Ukrainian court bans pro-Russian oligarch’s political party

A Ukrainian court has banned the political party of a Ukrainian oligarch who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The justice ministry announced in a Facebook post that the Eighth Administrative Appeals Court had outlawed the Opposition Platform – For Life party, the second-largest in parliament, and nationalised all of its assets and properties.

The party’s main backer is Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested in early April after earlier escaping from house arrest. He has been charged with “treason,” selling military secrets to Russia and looting national resources in the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

The justice ministry added that a total of 11 pro-Russian political parties have now been banned “for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.”