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Petr Bystron (in July 2023)
Photo: Carsten Koall / dpa
In the affair surrounding alleged cash payments from Russia, AfD Bundestag member Petr Bystron is being advised within the party to forgo appearing in the European election campaign for the time being. "Petr Bystron should not make any election campaign appearances until the allegations in the room have been clarified," said the AfD's leading candidate in the European elections, Maximilian Krah, to "Welt". Bystron is running for second place on the AfD list in the vote on June 9th.
He is expected to give the party leadership a written statement on the allegations by this Thursday. Federal Managing Director Hans-Holger Malcomeß gave him the deadline in a letter on Wednesday.
According to research by SPIEGEL and the Czech daily newspaper "Deník N", Western secret services suspect, among others, MP and candidate for the European elections Bystron of having received money from a pro-Russian network. He himself speaks of “defamation” (you can read a detailed analysis here).
At the end of March, the Czech government uncovered a large-scale influence operation by Russia ahead of the European elections in June. According to this, the “Voice of Europe” website, which is said to have been controlled by a Putin friend and his confidant, did not only spread propaganda in the interests of the Kremlin. The Prague-based media company is also said to have served to covertly finance candidates for the European elections that are acceptable to Moscow.
A total of several hundred thousand euros are said to have flowed to politicians in six EU countries, including Germany, France, Poland and the Netherlands. The money is said to have been partly handed over in cash at meetings in Prague and partly transferred via cryptocurrency.
Kubicki: Consequences of a functioning constitutional state
Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) told the Funke newspapers: "It is well known that among the AfD's top representatives there are those whose love of Russia goes further than is politically justifiable as a German MP." If the reports about illegal activities are correct Bystron will feel the consequences of a functioning constitutional state. "It would certainly be helpful and advisable if he or his party would clarify this matter themselves."
According to the authorities, the person behind “Voice of Europe” is Viktor Medvedchuk, an oligarch of Ukrainian origin who is loyal to the Kremlin and is considered a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His confidant Artem Martschewskyj is said to have actually managed the “Voice of Europe” business. The Czech government has placed both men on its sanctions list, as has the media company.
Bystron condemned the sanctions against Voice of Europe as an “attack on press freedom.” "In the approaching EU election campaign, opposition politicians in several countries are apparently intended to be defamed and journalists who are against the continuation of the Ukraine war to be silenced," said Bystron.
jok/dpa