Freedom for Ukrainian Bogdan Syrotiuk!

The 25-year-old socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk has been imprisoned since April 25, 2024, for opposing the NATO war imposed by the Zelensky government. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Syrotiuk has consistently argued that the Zelensky government has become a mere instrument of NATO’s war machine and that this war serves only to drive the Ukrainian people into death and misery. For this, he is being held in harsh isolation.

Syrotiuk contends that the conflict, which pits Russian and Ukrainian workers against each other, only serves to divide the people and strengthen the imperialist system. He is accused of "treason under martial law." The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) raided the party office he used for his political activities, falsely claiming to have found a Russian military coat, a backpack marked with the letter “Z,” and a gas mask in an attempt to fabricate a case of espionage.

The young socialist is one of the leaders of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), affiliated with the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS). Another charge against him is conducting "Russian propaganda"—essentially, collaborating with the enemy. Western imperialism brands anyone opposing NATO’s bloody war as a Putin supporter and relentlessly suppresses anti-war voices. In reality, Syrotiuk has consistently condemned both the Ukrainian regime and the Putin administration.

Bogdan Syrotiuk is being held under harsh conditions in the high-security Mykolaiv prison. Reports indicate that he is being denied access to his blood pressure medication, putting his life at risk. Still awaiting trial, his detention was extended for another 60 days on January 17, 2025. He is denied any form of conditional release or the right to a proper defense. If convicted, he is sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

The Zelensky government continues to escalate the war by demanding endless arms shipments from the West, showing complete disregard for the country and the working class. The far-right elements within the government are brutally suppressing the country’s left-wing opposition. While Western imperialism portrays Zelensky as a "freedom fighter" to serve its own interests, in reality, he collaborates with fascist forces on the ground and mercilessly crushes socialists who oppose the war and advocate for the rights of the working class. Under the conditions of war, young socialists like Syrotiuk are imprisoned through political conspiracies simply for bravely defending their beliefs.

Since the 2014 Maidan coup, socialists have faced horrific attacks: trade union buildings have been set on fire, fascists have hunted leftists in the streets, and thousands of leftists and opposition figures have been forced to flee Ukraine. Now, the few remaining dissidents are being silenced to establish an atmosphere of total repression.

At a time when Zelensky’s government has disgracefully surrendered Ukraine’s fate entirely to the United States, Syrotiuk’s opposition to this war is more justified than ever. Tens of thousands have been killed or maimed, the country has been devastated, and Ukraine has been entirely excluded from the negotiations determining its future—left out of the talks between Russia and the United States. This young socialist, who stands for the unity of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples and opposes imperialism, must be freed immediately! The real criminals are Zelensky, Putin, the Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, and NATO!

Freedom for Bogdan Syrotiuk!