Former MP Sviatash, convicted in absentia in Ukraine, detained in Sweden: he had travelled there for Stevie Wonder concert
Former Party of Regions MP Dmytro Sviatash, who was sentenced in absentia in Ukraine to 12 years in prison for calling for changes to the country’s territorial boundaries, has been detained in Sweden.
Swedish outlet Expressen and the Schemes investigative project reported this, according to Censor.NET.
Details of the detention
According to Sviatash’s lawyer, Mark Safaryan, his client arrived in Sweden last week to attend a concert by American musician Stevie Wonder in Stockholm. At passport control, the former MP, who holds both Ukrainian and Russian citizenship, presented his Ukrainian passport.
However, border police detained him and refused him entry. The reported reason was a re-entry ban imposed by Poland and entered into the shared database of Schengen countries.
Safaryan, however, believes the decision is politically motivated.
"This man is one of the most wanted people in Ukraine, and they know that. That is precisely why they are behaving this way," he said.
What is happening now
Sviatash is reportedly being held at a Swedish Migration Agency detention centre in Märsta. In an appeal, his lawyer stated that Sviatash opposes extradition to Ukraine.
Under a court ruling, the former MP has until Wednesday, 28 October, to provide written explanations and finalise his submissions. The court will then rule on his case.
Who is Svyatash?
- According to the Chesno movement, Sviatash was an authorised representative of presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych in 2004. He was a member of the Party of Regions from 2005 to 2014. As an MP representing the party, he voted for the "language" law that expanded the use of Russian and also supported the laws of 16 January 2014.
- In 2015, he joined the Revival Party parliamentary group. In 2019, he ran for parliament as a candidate for Opposition Platform — For Life but failed to win a seat. He moved to Russia that same year.
- In 2022, the SSU formally notified Sviatash that he was suspected of encroaching on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability and placed him on the wanted list. In 2023, it also notified him of suspicion of high treason. According to investigators, in August 2022, after Russian troops occupied part of Ukraine, he called for changes to the country’s territorial boundaries, collaborationist activities and cooperation with the occupation authorities.
- In November 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions on several individuals, including Dmytro Sviatash, a former Ukrainian MP who served in the fourth to eighth parliamentary convocations.
- In 2024, Sviatash was found guilty of calling for changes to the boundaries of Ukraine’s territory, asset laundering, and fraud. He was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
