Lapin Ihor Oleksandrovych

Ex-colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, People's Deputy of the VIII convocation, and author of the bill on criminal liability for journalists

People's Deputy of the VIII convocation from the "People's Front" party. Former military officer, colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After completing his mandate, he has been an active public commentator on military issues and a sharp critic of investigations against the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In March 2019, he submitted bill No. 10139 on criminal liability for "deliberate or accidental dissemination of false information in the media" — an initiative condemned by Freedom House, the "Human Rights Platform," and public organizations as an attempt to introduce censorship.

Interrogation by the SBU, disputes around the "Wagner group" case, and persecution of subordinates as "discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine"

He reported that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) summoned him for questioning; he linked this to his public stance on the "Wagner group" case — the court that obliged the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) to open proceedings regarding President Zelensky's statements on this matter. Lapin stated that the simultaneous persecution of his former subordinates is an "attempt to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine." No criminal suspicions or convictions against him personally have been publicly recorded. Public criticism mostly concerns legislative initiatives that restrict freedom of speech and situational conflicts with law enforcement agencies due to his positions regarding the army.