A court in the western Ukrainian city of Lvov has placed opposition politician Viktor Medvedchuk under arrest without the possibility of bail, local media reported on Saturday.
Earlier, the court arrested 154 "objects of movable and immovable property" belonging to the politician.
Medvedchuk was detained in a "special operation" by Ukraine's Security Service on Tuesday after escaping house arrest in late February in fear for his life amid the wave of chaos, looting and violence which engulfed Kiev after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published a photo of the Opposition Platform - For Life politician in handcuffs and wearing Ukrainian army fatigues following his detention, saying Kiev would be willing to exchange Medvedchuk for Ukrainian PoWs being held by Russian forces. Ukraine's security services published a second photo, showing Medvedchuk with what appears to be a large headwound above his brow. Oksana Marchenko said the wound was evidence that her husband had been beaten during his interrogation.
In an appeal to the Russian president on Saturday, Marachenko said that her husband had given consent on being handed over to the Russian side if Kiev and Moscow reached an agreement on his release.
Earlier, Marachenko appealed to the relatives of a pair of suspected British mercenaries who were recently captured alongside Ukrainian forces by Russian and Donbass troops, asking them to urge Boris Johnson to put pressure on Kiev to exchange the pair of prisoners for her husband. Marachenko also asked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to facilitate Medvedchuk's release in exchange for the two British nationals. Earlier this week, she appealed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, asking him for assistance with the matter.
Zelensky reiterated Saturday that Kiev would be willing to reach a deal with Moscow on the exchange of Medvedchuk, but said he has yet to receive a response from the Russian side.
Medvedchuk is a veteran Ukrainian politician and business tycoon who has spent years criticizing the country's pro-Western politicians and expressing the view that Ukraine's interests would best be met by forging closer ties with its Russian and Belarusian neighbours. Ukrainian and Western officials and media have labeled him as a "Russian puppet." The politician has dismissed these claims.
Medvedchuk was placed under house arrest in May 2021 after being charged with "treason" and "violation of the laws of war." Later, the court added "financing of terrorism" to the list of charges for alleged business activities in the Donbass republics. The politician has rejected the charges and says the case against him is politically motivated.