27-year-old Ukrainian anti-war socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Zelensky government solely for his anti-war writings and political views. Those who advocate an end to the bloody war, whose total human losses are estimated at more than one million by various sources, face serious repression in both countries.

A leading member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL) in Ukraine, 25-year-old Bogdan Syrotiuk was detained by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) on April 25, 2024, and arrested on charges of “high treason under martial law.” The charge carries a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment. Syrotiuk’s case has become one of the most striking examples of the criminalization of anti-war and socialist opposition in Ukraine, a war provoked and financed by NATO.

The Basis of the Conviction: Anti-War Writings

The only basis for Syrotiuk’s conviction was his writings and correspondence with the editors who published them. The court found six articles to constitute criminal evidence and sentenced Syrotiuk to 15 years in prison. The court claimed that the articles expressed “non-recognition of Ukraine’s legitimately elected political leadership and democratic processes,” made “comparisons with fascists and Nazis,” contained “negative assessments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” and involved “reinterpretations of national heroes and historical figures,” all of which it deemed criminal.

In other words, Syrotiuk was convicted of “high treason” for opposing the war, criticizing the policies of the Zelensky government, exposing the role of the far right and historical fascist forces in Ukraine, and advocating the unity of Russian and Ukrainian workers.

Moreover, although the SBU accused Syrotiuk of acting as an “agent of the Russian government,” not a single act of espionage has been produced to substantiate this claim during more than two years of proceedings. On the contrary, Syrotiuk’s political position has consistently opposed both Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Putin regime. He advocates ending the war through the unity and fraternal solidarity of the working people of both nations, opposing the nationalist politics that pit Russian and Ukrainian workers against one another.

The Russian and Ukrainian Peoples in the Shadow of War

Syrotiuk’s case is not merely a matter of freedom of expression in Ukraine. Both the Putin regime and the Zelensky government, backed by the leaders of NATO countries that arm, provoke and promote the war in Ukraine through their media, are brutally suppressing anti-war voices. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled both countries to avoid being sent to the front. Political repression is being used to suppress the anger of war-weary populations and those seeking to evade military service. Ukraine is facing a severe demographic crisis and a growing shortage of soldiers. Under these conditions, those who oppose the war are being punished harshly.

According to a 2026 Gallup survey, 66 percent of Ukrainians want the war to end through negotiations as soon as possible, while only 24 percent support continuing the war until “victory.” This demonstrates the widening gap between the official policy of continuing the war and the growing war-weariness among the Ukrainian population.

Consequently, the accusation that Bogdan Syrotiuk, an anti-war socialist, is “spreading Russian propaganda” is nothing more than a nationalist smear designed to conceal the imperialist character of the war. The devastating cost of policies aimed at prolonging the war for the Ukrainian people is becoming increasingly clear.

The Criminalization of Opposition

Following the 2015 “decommunization” laws, which banned communist symbols and propaganda, the political sphere was further restricted during the war. In 2022, the Zelensky government suspended the activities of 11 political parties, including left-wing parties, on the grounds that they had links to Russia. Among the banned parties were Opposition Platform – For Life, Shariy’s Party, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Left Opposition, Union of Left Forces, Derzhava, the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialists, and Volodymyr Saldo’s Bloc. Zelensky has accused the banned parties of being “pro-Russian.” Some of these parties were known for their opposition to the war.

While left-wing and opposition organizations were banned, fascist forces became involved in the war in cooperation with the Ukrainian ruling class and NATO. It is well known that neo-Nazis from various countries traveled to Ukraine to fight. Within Ukraine, fascist parties and organizations became a significant force following the 2014 Maidan coup and received support from NATO, the United States, and the European Union. Fascist forces openly using Nazi symbols had already committed horrific crimes before the war, including the physical persecution and suppression of left-wing forces. One of the most horrific examples was the burning of a trade union building in Odessa during clashes between pro-Russian forces and pro-Kyiv forces, including fascist groups, in 2014. At least 31 people were killed by fire or smoke inhalation in the attack.

From 2022 onward, as the country was prepared for the conditions of war, the legal system was also reshaped to serve NATO’s war. In particular, the laws on “high treason” and “collaboration” were transformed into a broad mechanism of criminal prosecution following the outbreak of the war. Thousands of people have been imprisoned as a result of this campaign of repression.

According to Human Rights Watch, the conviction rate in “collaboration” cases, which are treated as equivalent to treason, has reached 100 percent.

Freedom for Anti-War Socialists!

Syrotiuk has been held in a Mykolaiv prison since his arrest on April 25, 2024. Despite his deteriorating health during his detention, he was denied medical treatment for more than a year, and the necessary treatment was repeatedly postponed. His case was also brought before the European Court of Human Rights, which accepted Syrotiuk’s application in 2025. Nevertheless, he remained imprisoned until his conviction.

The court has now sentenced him to 15 years in prison and additionally ordered the confiscation of his property and electronic devices, as well as the destruction of the socialist books, pamphlets and political program documents seized from him.

The repression of a young socialist who advocates the unity of Ukrainian and Russian workers, rather than their mutual slaughter in the interests of their respective governments, oligarchs and imperialist powers, exposes the real character of this war.

Bogdan Syrotiuk must be freed immediately!

End the repression of anti-war socialists!

For the united struggle of the international working class against imperialist war and NATO’s war!

See More: Freedom for Ukrainian Bogdan Syrotiuk!