Slovakia cancels protection for man accused of running pro-Russia website
2024.08.27 10:37
(Reuters) – Slovakia has withdrawn protection it had given a Ukrainian-Israeli citizen who is accused of running a pro-Russian influence campaign via a news website and is under Czech sanctions, the Slovak Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
Artem Marchevskyi was granted temporary protection in Slovakia earlier this year, after losing that same status in the Czech Republic which he had received following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as part of European Union efforts to help those fleeing the fighting.
Czech intelligence services say Marchevskyi ran the Czech-registered Voice of Europe website, used for spreading anti-Ukrainian propaganda and disinformation.
After a review, Slovak authorities cancelled his protection in July, according to a report in Czech daily Denik N.
“Cancelling of the temporary refuge was preceded by an examination of facts that fulfilled conditions for its cancellation,” the Slovak ministry said in an emailed statement to Reuters, without giving further details.
Marchevskyi could not be immediately contacted for comment.
He was placed on the Czech sanctions list in March, along with pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk and the news website voiceofeurope.com.
Czech officials had said the website’s influence operations had been aimed at helping Russia to gain influence in EU states.
Slovakia’s new government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has warm relations with Russia, which has unnerved some European Union allies, and it ended state military aid to Ukraine after taking power last year.
