(NewsNation Now) — A U.S. senator’s mission of trying to ensure a fair trial for a North Dakota farmer detained in Ukraine has shifted from making sure he receives a fair trial to getting him out of the country altogether.
Kurt Groszhans has been accused of plotting to assassinate a senior official in the Ukrainian government. His family and supporters say the charges are trumped up, and were designed to silence Groszhan’s own allegations of government corruption in Ukraine.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., is one member of the state’s congressional delegation trying to bring him home.
“Though Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has made the situation challenging, we will continue to do everything we can to aid with Mr. Groszhans’ safety,” Hoeven said in a statement.
He added that he and U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., continue to be in contact with the Ukrainian ambassador and U.S. State Department officials.
Prior to Russia’s invasion, Hoeven said they were working to get him moved to a nicer prison.
Groszhans set out for Ukraine in 2017, claiming he wanted to reconnect with his ancestors’ homeland and to farm the rich soil there. He began his venture with law professor and Ukrainian Roman Leshchenko — who is now a government official.
Groszhans’ family and supporters claim his arrest was payback for his effort to expose claims of corruption in Ukraine. Groszhans alleges in a lawsuit that Leshchenko was the guilty one and that he stole more than $250,000 from him.
Ukrainian media reported Leshchenko donated $60,000 to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2019 presidential campaign. After Zelenskyy won the election, Leshchenko was named minister of agrarian policy and food.
Groszhans’ sister claims Leshchenko eventually returned some of the money but also threatened to have Groszhans arrested if he didn’t stop speaking publicly about the fraud allegations.
Groszhans has been imprisoned on charges of trying to murder Leshchenko since November of 2021.
According to NewsNation affiliate reporter Brooke Williams of KXMB-TV in North Dakota, Groszhans had an associate who was also arrested with him. Ukrainian investigators have said they have audio recordings of her discussing a kidnapping plot.
An attorney for Groszhans said he was not present for the majority of those meetings. The attorney also claims, even in meetings where he was present, his Ukrainian and Russian are limited, and he may not have known what was being discussed.
NewsNation affiliate KXMB and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
