SBU declares Zelenski’s former spokesperson, who is abroad, suspected of treason

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday that Iulia Mendel, former spokesperson for President Volodymyr Zelenski, is officially suspected of treason. Mendel currently lives abroad, while authorities in Kyiv claim that she carried out “subversive information activities against Ukraine.”

According to the SBU, authorities are working to ensure that the former official faces Ukrainian justice. No details have so far been provided about the specific measures taken against her or any possible procedures to bring her to Ukraine.

Iulia Mendel was Zelenski’s spokesperson between 2019 and 2021. After the start of the Russian invasion, she published a book about her experience at the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Mendel returned to the public spotlight in May, after giving an interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson. During the interview, she accused Zelenski of corruption, authoritarian drift and a lack of willingness to end the war with Russia. She also made unverified claims about the president’s behavior and drug use.

Zelenski subsequently imposed sanctions on his former spokesperson, accusing her of spreading disinformation and Russian propaganda. The case marks an escalation of the conflict between the two and the opening of an investigation into one of the most serious offenses under Ukrainian law.