Bogdan Syrotiuk, a Ukrainian Trotskyist, was arrested by the secret service of the far-right Zelensky regime in April and has been held in prison in Ukraine ever since on trumped-up treason charges. He has called for resistance to the war on a socialist basis but is accused of supporting the Putin regime in a trial based on lies and forgeries.

The World Socialist Web Site is receiving continued support from Germany, Austria and Switzerland for the demand that Syrotiuk be released immediately and that the monstrous false accusations against him be dropped. Below is a selection of the numerous comments and statements sent to us by the signatories of the petition calling for his freedom.

Among the signatories from German-speaking countries for the petition calling for his release are the historian Prof Mario Kessler and the art historian Prof. Ulrich Kuder from Kiel; also the spokesman of the Essen Peace Forum Bernhard Trautvetter, as well as the group Klassenkampf (Class Struggle) from Austria and the Austrian activist Michael Pröbsting (Revolutionary Communist International Tendency, RCIT).

We call on all our readers: Sign the petition, write a comment and donate to the fight for Bogdan’s freedom! Information at wsws.org/freebogdan.

Paul Marcel E.

In every country, and especially in every conflict, there is only one thing you can do: Refuse to fight and kill, show solidarity with the soldiers of the so-called enemy and fight for peace!

Andreas W., Austria

... It goes without saying that the demand for Bogdan’s release must be addressed to all Western governments that finance the criminal Zelensky regime, including the Austrian government. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the Austrian government not only finances the Zelensky regime, but also finances the Putin regime via natural gas payments and Raiffeisen Bank International. This clearly shows what Bogdan’s and our struggle must be about: The working class must fight against imperialist war, and the main enemy in each case is in its own country. Bogdan, stay strong!

Bernhard Trautvetter (speaker of the Essen Peace Forum)

If there is a future for humanity, for Europe and for all people, then it can only be a peaceful one. That means diplomacy, that means mutual security in a common European and global house that connects all parts of the world. Socialists and other democrats must commit to this vision if we are to survive this dangerous century on our vulnerable planet Earth.

Viktor S. (who comes from Ukraine)

I call on the Ukrainian authorities to release Bogdan immediately and to stop the political persecution of left-wing political activists. The regime currently ruling Russia has nothing in common with either Marxist views or the Soviet past. People who sympathise with left-wing views and reject imperialism cannot a priori be agents of the Putin regime.

Damian

All those who care about social equality, peace and prosperity must unite to demand Bogdan’s immediate release from prison and an end to the proxy war in Ukraine. The accusation that the Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk is a Russian agent is an absurd lie! Bogdan is leading the struggle for a socialist solution to the global imperialist crisis of never-ending wars and mass destruction. Stop the repression of the WSWS in Ukraine! Free the Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotjuk now!

Olaf A.

The world is corrupt! The people are dying because some politicians are venal and power-hungry!!! I am in favour of all politicians and supporters of arms deliveries, as well as Green politicians who no longer let their white doves fly, fighting on the front line in Ukraine themselves. The war would then be over in a few hours and the people would be left with peaceful people who are willing to engage in dialogue. For me, that would be the only sensible solution to end all the wars in this world!!!

Michael M.

Freedom for Bogdan immediately! Stop the war against Russia! Stop the genocide in Gaza! For the international solidarity of the working class!

Sybille Fuchs

The imprisonment of war opponents and socialists is a violation of human rights and exposes the Ukrainian regime as dictatorial and the heir to Stalinism. The charges against Bogdan are based on lies and falsifications. They must be dropped, he must be released and compensated immediately and receive good health care.

Frank U.

Long live the international unity of the workers and their political independence from all parties that hang on the coat-tails of capital!

Beat Z., Switzerland

We are all in favour of freedom and love for our world.

Françoise Thull

Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk must be released immediately! Like Julian Assange, his only “crime” is to tell the truth to the international working class so that it becomes aware of its own power and can take up the struggle for a political alternative and a programme of action based on a socialist, international perspective.

Petra K.

... I distribute your information wherever I can. Time is running out. We are at the beginning of a third world war. The social and environmental crises are coming to a head. In my company, we teleworkers are being forced to travel to work again—despite the coronavirus pandemic—not every day, but the risk of infection is simply being ignored, and not for work-related reasons. The idea is to create a sense of “normality,” which does not exist! That is simply irresponsible. I support you.

Heribert S.

Release Bogdan immediately from his unjustified and unjustifiable imprisonment. Release Bogdan!

Alois Z.

In a democracy, it must be possible to tell the truth. It is absolutely unjust what is happening to Bogdan. These fascist governments must be stopped! They have so much blood on their hands. They belong in prison.

Robin H.

I am not a Trotskyist, nor do I support all the positions of the WSWS. But we must fight against any kind of political oppression! Let Bogdan go free!

Florian H.

Bogdan Syrotiuk’s arrest on trumped-up charges of high treason is an outrageous violation of his democratic rights. It proves that Ukraine is ruled by fascists who have no interest in the defence of democracy and freedom. This is just a foretaste of what will happen to truly left-wing people across Europe in the near future if the working class does not take matters into its own hands and organise itself into a competent party—the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party).

Max H.

Proletarians of all countries, unite! Freedom for Bogdan Syrotiuk!

We call on all our readers: Sign the petition, write a comment and donate to the fight for Bogdan’s freedom! Information at wsws.org/freebogdan.