INSIDE: l Ukraine’s geopolitical successes, Russia’s defeats – page 3 l Commentary: Markiv acquitted and freed – page 6 l Manor College holds drive-in graduation – page 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXVIII No. 45 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 $2.00 Constitutional Court abolishes Milan Appeal Court acquits Ukrainian soldier Ukraine’s anti-corruption system Markiv in 2014 killing of Italian journalist by Roman Tymotsko er political association and economic inte- gration with Europe. Significantly, the CCU’s KYIV – The Constitutional Court of decision could threaten lending from the Ukraine (CCU) on October 27 declared International Monetary Fund and could some provisions of the country’s anti-cor- lead to a temporary suspension of visa-free ruption legislation unconstitutional. The travel to the European Union. CCU was ruling on the submission of 48 On October 29, President Volodymyr national deputies from two parliamentary Zelenskyy convened an urgent closed-door factions, For the Future and the Opposition meeting of the National Security and Platform – For Life. Defense Council to determine the immedi- What the decision means is that elec- ate proper response to what he said are tronic declarations of civil servants’ income new threats to national security created by and property are abolished, the powers of the Constitutional Court’s decision. “It is the National Anti-Corruption Agency not only a matter of this decision but also, (known by its Ukrainian acronym as NAZK) in general, of the purposeful actions of cer- to inspect civil servants are abolished, judg- tain individuals to undermine the social ments of illicit enrichment are cancelled, contract in Ukraine and to create a threat to confiscation of corrupt assets is discontin- national security,” the president noted. ued and penalties for false declaration of Mr. Zelenskyy said the dismantling of the Radio Svoboda assets are repealed. National Anti-Corruption Agency’s powers Vitaliy Markiv holds a Ukrainian flag while exiting an airplane in Kyiv on November On October 30, hundreds of Ukrainians and of criminal liability for deliberate viola- 4 after flying from Milan, where he was released from prison after having been found protested in front of the court against its tions of the law would never be accepted not guilty of being an accessory to murder. decision. by Ukrainian society or Ukraine’s European The European Union said the partners. by Mark Raczkiewycz toolbox – disinformation – which Mr. Constitutional Court’s decision has called “We will not have money, and we will Markiv’s defense and his supporters say into question Ukraine’s international obli- not have support. Agreed-upon projects KYIV – When Ukrainian National influenced the criminal trial and the Italian gations. The EU considers the anti-corrup- and the support of the World Bank will be Guardsman Vitaliy Markiv was released media’s coverage, and even made its way tion institutions established at the canceled. We will have a big hole in the from a maximum-security prison in Italy on into evidence that prosecutors had pre- Ukrainian people’s request to be the cor- November 3, it seemed that Ukraine also sented. nerstone of Ukraine’s transformation, clos- (Continued on page 3) was vindicated of the false criminal charges The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection of being an accessory to murder. Group (KHPG) and other observers said the After spending three years, four months disinformation helped destroy the defen- and two days in a Milan prison for his dant’s presumption of innocence and elimi- alleged role in killing an Italian photojour- nated the possibility of him having a fair Veteran Ukrainian Canadian leader Eugene Czolij nalist and his Russian interpreter in an trial. eastern Ukrainian war zone, an appellate The following day, the National Guard named Ukraine’s first honorary consul in Quebec court ordered Mr. Markiv’s immediate senior sergeant landed in Kyiv dressed in a release upon acquitting him of all charges. military uniform with Mr. Avakov, his ulti- At around 9:50 p.m. local time, the mate superior, and Lyudmyla Denisova, the 31-year-old native of Ternopil Oblast country’s human rights ombudswoman. regained his freedom, emerging with a In a Facebook post, Ms. Denisova called Ukrainian flag draped over his shoulders Mr. Markiv “our hero” and reiterated that and wearing a T-shirt bearing the Ukrainian “there is justice.” trident symbol (tryzub) with the insignia of At the landing strip in Kyiv, Mr. Markiv his 1st Battalion of the National Guard. said he would continue serving in the Flanked by Ukrainian Internal Affairs National Guard but will first spend time Minister Arsen Avakov and wearing a mask with his wife, whom he hasn’t seen in more with Ukrainian embroidery, Mr. Markiv’s than three years. first words were: “This is an extraordinary He also didn’t rule out suing the Italian moment. We proved that the truth exists. government for his wrongful conviction, Justice exists. My conviction in the lower During the virtual ceremony when Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada Andriy but said he will first consult with lawyers court showed that there are no limits to the Shevchenko (right) officially signed the agreement with Eugene Czolij on his appoint- after the full text of the ruling is published. reach of Russian propaganda. The truth ment as the honorary consul of Ukraine in Montreal. The family of the Italian victim, Andrea and goodness prevails.” Rocchelli, and prosecutors have not stated Since Montreal is in a COVID-19 red He added with restrained emotion, by Christopher Guly whether they will appeal the Milan Court of zone that prohibits travel outside Quebec, while pivoting on his left and right legs: Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Appeal’s acquittal of Mr. Markiv. Mr. Czolij had to sign the joint agreement “This is my victory – this is in memory of all OTTAWA – Ukraine’s diplomatic pres- appointing him to his three-year renewable those who’ve perished in the [Donbas] war The previous day’s denouement in the ence in Canada has expanded with the term position on an October 16 Zoom call since 2014.” case followed four appellate court hearings appointment of Montreal corporate and with Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s ambas- It was a direct reference to Russia’s war that started on September 29. commercial litigator Eugene Czolij, the for- sador to Canada, who was in Ottawa. in Ukraine that has led to the deaths of They followed Mr. Markiv’s conviction mer president of both the Ukrainian Ambassador Shevchenko approached more than 13,000 people in the country’s by a lower court in the same Lombardy Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Mr. Czolij with the idea of his becoming the two easternmost regions of Luhansk and region on July 29, 2019, and his sentencing Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), as first official Ukrainian representative in Donetsk. to the maximum 24 years’ imprisonment Ukraine’s first honorary consul in the His remarks also mentioned one of French-speaking province of Quebec. (Continued on page 4) Russia’s many weapons in its hybrid war (Continued on page 10) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 No. 45 ANALYSIS The unenviable fate of mediators Record number of coronavirus cases safeguarded across the country.” British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons As of the morning of November 3, 8,889 also expressed hope that “justice will be in the ongoing Belarusian crisis new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in served soon” for Handzyuk. She vowed that Ukraine in the previous 24 hours – a new ship than as a way to facilitate a resolution she will “raise the issue of her case” this by Grigory Ioffe daily record since the beginning of the pan- of the political crisis. Curiously, the person week both in Handzyuk’s native city of Eurasia Daily Monitor demic. Health Minister Maksym Stepanov responsible for security, law enforcement Kherson and in Kyiv. The Canadian said on November 3 that “The situation The political crisis in Belarus has and defense in the new Council is former Embassy in Ukraine also issued a state- with the coronavirus in Ukraine is close to reached either a stalemate or a crossroads Minsk restaurateur Vadim Proropyev ment regarding the deadly attack on catastrophic and the nation must prepare that evades easy predictions as to where, (Svaboda.org, October 28), known for his Handzyuk on Twitter. “There is no place for for the worst.” As of November 3, the num- when and how it will be resolved or allevi- profane speeches (YouTube, August 29) brutality and intimidation against activists, ber of people infected since the beginning ated. addressing Mr. Lukashenka. human rights defenders and media in On the government side, the stalemate Webinars and virtual conferences devot- of the pandemic was 411,093, 7,532 have Ukraine. Attacks on activists in Ukraine reveals itself in unusual nervousness. The ed to the Belarusian protests are seemingly died, and 168,868 recovered. The largest must stop, all crimes fully investigated, and country’s law enforcement chiefs have conducted every other day by think tanks number of confirmed cases was registered those responsible brought to justice,” the been reshuffled – itself not that unusual, and universities across Europe and North in Kyiv (789 cases), Kharkiv (712 cases), Canadian Embassy added. The deadly but the recent tempo has been remarkable. America. But, except when truly knowl- Khmelnytsky (506 cases), Donetsk (496 attack on Handzyuk, a 33-year-old civil Only in September, Valery Vakulchik was edgeable domestic Belarusian experts are cases) and Zhytomyr (470 cases) regions. activist and adviser to the mayor of the transferred to be secretary of the national involved – as was the case with the U.S.