Four months ago, on Thursday, April 25, our Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on spurious charges. Throughout these four months Bogdan has been languishing in the detention center of Nikolaev.

The fraudulent case against Bogdan is an outrageous example of the criminal persecution of leftist and anti-war activists by the capitalist authoritarian regime in Kiev.

Shortly after the news about Bogdan spread around the world, a number of Russian leftist organizations and media outlets covered his case and expressed their support for Bogdan, demanding his immediate release, thus expanding the international campaign. 

Among the tendencies that published statements of support was the Rabkor website, which is run by the now imprisoned Boris Kagarlitsky in Russia. It noted in a statement, “While we do not share the views of the World Socialist Web Site, we express solidarity with the activist group [YGBL]. Let’s remember that repression in one country feeds repression in another and vice versa.”

The Revolutionary Workers’ Party (RRP), a Pabloite organization, also published a statement demanding freedom for Bogdan, which was shared by other organizations, including the Russian Communist Party (RCP)(b). They wrote:

Bogdan considers himself a consistent supporter of the Bolshevik-Leninist political tradition. He is an ideological supporter of Lev Davidovich Trotsky, permanent revolution, world communism, genuine proletarian dictatorship, and an ardent anti-Stalinist. He has fought against the power of the Ukrainian oligarchy and has exposed the rotten essence of the Zelensky regime.

When the SMO [Special Military Operation] began, Syrotiuk took an internationalist stance, not supporting any of the bourgeoisie. In exactly the same way Syrotiuk criticized the CPU, pro-Western “leftists” and other “communists” who, instead of fighting the entire bourgeoisie regardless of nationality, supported one of its camps. And now the Ukrainian executioners are trying to liquidate Bogdan completely.

This situation should again open the eyes of some leftists as to the essence of the Ukrainian regime. Unfortunately, some of them see in it precisely a genuine bourgeois democracy of the Western European model and believe that their anti-communism ends with the struggle against Stalinism. This is fundamentally wrong. Ukraine is already an ultra-right-wing dictatorship that has abruptly and irrevocably decided to do away with any manifestations of Marxism in the country. And even though we disagree with a large number of communists in Ukraine in many aspects, we express our solidarity with them in their hard struggle. Down with Zelensky’s junta! Workers’ power in Ukraine!

Information about the arrest has also been spread by other groups and individuals on social media. The Vkontakte page “International Socialist” published the following statement: 

Freedom for Bogdan Syrotiuk!

On April 25, the Security Service of Ukraine arrested 25-year-old Trotskyist Bogdan Syrotiuk. The indictment states that the activities of the convinced internationalist Bogdan, “acting on the instructions of a representative of the World Socialist Web Site,” consisted in “supporting and justifying the Russian Federation’s waging a war of aggression on the territory of Ukraine.” The World Socialist Web Site, in turn, was called a “Russian propaganda and information agency.”

Apparently [their] “support for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” looks like this [quote from David North: “Stop the political frame-up of Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk!”:

“On February 24, 2022, the day of the Russian invasion, the ICFI posted a statement on the WSWS titled: “Oppose the Putin government’s invasion of Ukraine and US-NATO warmongering! For the unity of Russian and Ukrainian workers!” ”

And this is how the “Russian propagandists” “extol” the regime [quote from the YGBL statement “For the organization of an international movement of workers and young people against war!”]

“ The reactionary regime of Vladimir Putin emerged from the treacherous dissolution of the Soviet Union by the Stalinist bureaucracy and the restoration of capitalism. The policies of Putin, in the final analysis, are aimed at safeguarding the wealth of the post-Soviet oligarchy against the pressure of Western imperialism from above and, even more critically, against the movement of the Russian working class from below.”

“The course of the war after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine increasingly emphasizes the reactionary nature of this invasion. While claiming to be fighting for the independence of the Russian people from the threat of Western imperialism, Putin is in fact only defending the independence of the Russian oligarchy to exploit the Russian working class and the country’s raw material wealth.”

Bogdan Syrotiuk is now facing a life sentence. It is necessary to give the prisoner of conscience as much support and help as possible! First of all it is necessary to publicize what happened!

The Vkontakte page Politico Socialismus, run by an individual that was personally acquainted with Bogdan, also posted a statement: 

He [Bogdan] is a true hero, despite my disagreement with his views. He is being tried by the Ukrainian regime for his anti-war stance. The crazy Nazis in the SBU didn’t like the way Bogdan talked about Western imperialism. But Bogdan suffers from physical health problems, and the conditions of Ukrainian prisons are practically torture.  Now Bogdan Syrotiuk is facing life imprisonment simply for his words and anti-war stance. ... It is necessary to provide the political prisoner with as much support and help as possible! First of all, it is necessary to publicize what happened!

The Russian Foundation to Combat Repression has also published a lengthy statement, demanding Bogdan’s freedom. It reads in part: 

(...) Human rights activists of the Foundation to Combat Repression believe that Bogdan Syrotiuk’s life is in immediate danger in prison, where, according to the Foundation, torture and ill-treatment are widespread. The experts of the Foundation for Combating Repression strongly condemn the wrongful arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk and demand his immediate release. ... Bogdan Syrotiuk is a political prisoner who has been persecuted as an opponent of the Zelensky regime and NATO’s proxy war against Russia. The young man, who is only 25 years old and in poor health, is an opponent of the bloody war unleashed by the NATO countries between Kiev and Moscow, which has claimed more than half a million lives. He favors the unity of the Russian and Ukrainian working class. Bogdan is imprisoned on trumped-up charges of undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity and serving Russian interests. If the court finds Bogdan guilty, he faces a prison sentence of 15 years to life, which is tantamount to a death sentence. Human rights activists of the Foundation to Combat Repression believe that Bogdan’s arrest is the latest example of the Zelensky regime’s brutal repression of leftist movements, whose opposition to the war is increasingly resonating with ordinary Ukrainians.

… Representatives of the International Committee of the Fourth International believe that Zelensky’s regime does not fear “Putin as an agent” but the development of a mass left-wing political opposition among Ukrainian workers and youth who refuse to be used as cannon fodder in a fratricidal war.

“To defend Bogdan is to challenge the endless pro-war propaganda of the British media that the NATO-backed conflict against Russia is being waged to defend democracy and human rights. Ukraine is a martial law police state in which all opposition parties are banned. A proxy war for imperialist interests to conquer Russia is being waged to the last Ukrainian,” reads the May 12, 2024 resolution of the UK’s Committee of Ordinary Postal Workers.

The war against Russia in Ukraine is being armed and financed by the US, UK and other NATO powers. Ukraine is a puppet state backed by its imperialist sponsors in Washington and London who have embarked on a new redivision of the world to seize control of energy supplies, mineral resources, supply chains and markets.

“We support the call by the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site for the immediate release of Bogdan Syrotiuk and the development of an international anti-war movement uniting workers around the world,” said the UK postal workers.

Human rights activists of the Foundation to Combat Repression strongly condemn the wrongful arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk. According to the unanimous opinion of the Foundation’s experts, Bogdan’s case has all the signs of a politically motivated persecution. In this regard, the human rights defenders of the Foundation for Combating Repression join the petition and call on the Ukrainian authorities to immediately release the young man from custody and drop all charges against him.

Articles by the WSWS on the arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk are also widely circulating on social media. Thus, the Vkontakte group Workers’ Movement of the Future posted an article by the World Socialist Web Site about Bogdan’s arrest, demanding his release.

The popular left-wing anti-war blogger Konstantin Syomin highlighted Bogdan’s situation on his YouTube channel “AgitProp,” on a stream that was watched by over a quarter million people and featured in the news section. According to Konstantin, Bogdan Syrotiuk’s case needs more publicity.

The Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists considers it a matter of first importance to spread the word about Bogdan all over the world. Of great importance in expanding the campaign in his support is the coverage of this situation in as many media outlets as possible, both in Ukraine and Russia.

Despite our well-documented political differences, we therefore welcome the principled position of these organizations and social media outlets. 

We also call on everyone to support the campaign for the release of Bogdan Syrotiuk, a socialist and anti-war activist: Spread the word among your acquaintances, friends, colleagues and relatives! Sign the petition for Bogdan’s release! Demand the immediate release of Bogdan Syrotiuk from prison and the dismissal of all charges!

Freedom for Bogdan Syrotiuk!