Ukrainian security forces have raided the house of Communist Party President Petro Symonenko and the office of the Central Committee in Kiev, on the eve of the commemorations for the Great Antifascist Victory of the Peoples (9th of May).

GUE/NGL Vice-President Neoklis Sylikiotis (AKEL, Cyprus) condemned the attacks:

“We denounce in the strongest possible terms these attacks and declare our solidarity with the Communist Party of Ukraine. Since the coup d’état of February 2014, the Ukrainian authorities – backed by extreme nationalist and fascist forces –  have harassed and systematically persecuted the country’s Communist Party.”

“The EU, which allegedly concerns itself with democracy and human rights around the world, is turning a blind eye to these unprecedented undemocratic acts despite having just recently concluded an Association Agreement with Ukraine.”

“We recall the lessons from modern European history: the fascists begin their attacks on the Left but sooner or later target every democrat,” Sylikiotis concluded.