A language scandal has arisen between millionaire blogger Olena Mandziuk and Member of Parliament Oleksiy Honcharenko. Law enforcement authorities have opened a criminal case against Mandziuk under the article for incitement of enmity.
Source: Bukvy
What triggered it
A screenshot of Olena Mandziuk’s post circulated online, in which she wrote in the comments that her children “can beat up” someone for speaking Russian.
Source: Oleksiy Honcharenko
This caused a strong reaction, including from MP Oleksiy Honcharenko, who stated that “if there is even one case of violence by her children against any child, I will personally take steps to revoke her parental rights.”
This incident occurred on July 14.
Police statement
On August 14, Honcharenko reported that he had submitted materials regarding the blogger to the police. Law enforcement opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — deliberate actions aimed at inciting national, regional, racial, or religious hostility and hatred, as well as humiliating national honor and dignity.
“This case is about teaching your children to beat other children — children who are fleeing from occupied territories and cities that are being bombed and destroyed. Yes, they may speak Russian. But they are just as Ukrainian as you are. And no one in this country will have the right, as long as I am here, to beat children for the language they speak,” the MP publicly addressed Mandziuk.
He also expressed outrage at the blogger’s statements regarding Kharkiv.
Source: Oleksiy Honcharenko
“Imagine the cynicism of this person. Poor, our unfortunate Kharkiv, endlessly bombed. Yet the city continues to live, develop, and become even better. Nowhere have I ever seen such cleanliness and order as in Kharkiv. And all of this is done by the people. The Kharkiv residents. Apparently, Mandziuk finds Kharkiv residents unsuitable. If you swap Elena with Skabeeva, nothing would change. Same narratives. Same texts. Same thoughts,” Honcharenko wrote.
Mandziuk’s response
Olena Mandziuk published several posts regarding the language scandal.
The blogger stated that she did not teach her children to fight over the Russian language, but taught them that Russia is evil, and that nothing Russian should be given any chance in their environment.
“Part of my family is fighting, the father of my children has been on the front line for four years, and I, in the rear, do everything to provide Ukrainian soldiers with equipment so they can destroy the occupiers. At the same time, I raise two young children, instilling Ukrainian values, teaching them that everything Russian is terror, occupation, murder, and evil, because that is the pure truth!
For this, I receive death threats, torture, rape threats, my work pages are blocked, I am humiliated, persecuted, and psychologically destroyed. The state has never once protected me or my children from this! They did not find those who threatened us, but today they decided to open a criminal case against me!” Olena wrote.
Olena expressed outrage that Ukrainians in the rear are persecuted for hatred of everything Russian.
“Tell me, who is being oppressed here? Who does the state want to imprison — me, a Ukrainian dreaming of a free Ukrainian-language space? Do you want to take my children and put them in an orphanage because their father is at war and their mother is too pro-Ukrainian? Why are Ukrainians in the rear persecuted for hatred of everything Russian? Why should we suffer not only at war but also at home? Why does the state turn a blind eye to pro-Russian filth and punish those who fight against it? And most importantly, why are we Ukrainians still forced to justify wanting to live in Ukraine, speak Ukrainian, and protect ourselves from everything Moscow-related?” Mandziuk believes.
The blogger noted that she has an “excellent lawyer,” and therefore believes that “the case will be closed without even starting.”
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