Knowing that he would not be arrested, former Ukrainian President Poroshenko, accused of treason, sang the national anthem in court

On January 19, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, accused of treason, appeared in a court in the capital Kiev. Despite being asked not to leave Kiev and having to hand over their passports, the court rejected prosecutors' arrest requests, and Poroshenko and his lawyer sang the national anthem on the spot.

According to Reuters reported on January 19, Poroshenko appeared at the Pechersk District Court in Kiev that day. Poroshenko is accused of treason and could face 15 years in prison if convicted of funding the armed forces in eastern Ukraine through an illegal coal business between 2014 and 2015.

Poroshenko insisted it was a politically motivated accusation by the current president, Zelenskiy. Outside the courtroom, hundreds of supporters shouted slogans, waved flags, cheered Poroshenko and even briefly wrestled with police.

Inside the courtroom, Judge Oleksiy Sokolov said Poroshenko did not need to be remanded for trial, but was called to court for investigation. He was also ordered to remain in Kiev and must hand over his passport. This judgment is valid for two months and is subject to extension.

After learning that he would not be arrested, Poroshenko and his lawyer sang the national anthem on the spot. But he said he would appeal, saying the ruling "hampered" his political activities.

"This is not yet a victory, it is a first step in the right direction," he said.

By the time the hearing was over, Poroshenko joined the ranks of supporters outside the courtroom, and the crowd began marching toward the president's office.

Poroshenko spoke to his supporters on the day of his arrival in Kiev video screenshot

Poroshenko, like Zelenskiy, is currently one of Ukraine's two most popular politicians and one of Ukraine's richest businessmen. Poroshenko was elected president of Ukraine after a coup d'état by U.S.-backed militants in February 2014. In the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election, he was overwhelmingly defeated by Zelenskiy.

Poroshenko, who is currently a lawmaker and leader of the opposition European Solidarity Party, is likely to be Zelenskiy's most formidable rival in the next Ukrainian presidential election.

Since last December, Poroshenko has faced multiple charges, including "support for terrorism" and treason. On January 6 of this year, the Pecherski District Court decided to confiscate all his property, and Poroshenko did not receive a court summons because he was on a "diplomatic trip" in Poland at the time.

The struggle between Ukraine's two presidents has attracted the attention of the United States and other Western worlds. US Secretary of State Blinken said in a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy on the 19th: "I think that one of Russia's long-term goals is to try to create divisions between countries and within countries, and we cannot and will not let them do this." ”

He called on Ukrainians to "stand united" because they "face the possibility of another Russian aggression."

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