Andriy Kozhemiakin

Andrii Anatoliiovych Kozhemiakin (; born November 13, 1965, in Odesa, Ukrainian SSR ) is a Ukrainian politician and a former security service officer. He has served as a member of the Ukrainian Parliament since 2006.

Biography

Military / Security Service career Kozhemiakin graduated in 1986 from the Kyiv Naval Political College and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (majoring in "jurisprudence").

Parliamentary career In 2006 and 2007 Kozhemiakin was elected into Parliament on a Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc ticket. The faction re-elected Kozhemiakin as its leader on 7 December 2011.

In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election he was again re-elected to parliament; this time after placing 13th on the electoral list of Batkivshchina.

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election Kozhemiakin was again re-elected to parliament; this time after placing 7th on the electoral list of Batkivshchina. He was named Youth and Sports Committee Head, and chairperson of the parliamentary committee on law enforcement legislation.

A draft civil union law, introduced following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, that would give same-sex partnerships legal status in Ukraine was supported by Kozhemiakin in 2023 because "If it will never exist in Russia, it should exist and be supported here."

In 2023, Ukrainian four-time individual world sabre champion Olga Kharlan was disqualified by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) at the World Fencing Championships in Milan, Italy. Kharlan defeated Russian Anna Smirnova 15-7. Smirnova extended her hand to Kharlan, who in turn extended her saber in an offer to the Russian to tap blades. Kharlan said her choice of salute was meant as a sign of respect for her opponent, while still acknowledging the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. After a long delay during which Smirnova protested and sat on the strip for 45 minutes, Kharlan was ultimately black-carded and eliminated from the championship by FIE officials. The Russian had been allowed to compete as a neutral athlete. The National Fencing Federation of Ukraine filed an appeal. At the behest of the IOC, the FIE's disqualification of Kharlan was cancelled by the FIE, making it possible for her to enter the team event. Kharlan was also told by the IOC that due to the circumstances she was being granted automatic qualification into the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kozhemiakin drafted resolution No. 9554 of Verkhovna Rada, a draft appeal that was registered to the parliaments and governments of democratic countries, the IOC, and international sports federations calling for the condemnation of the disqualification of Kharlan by the FIE. It also asks that all persons involved in the decision to disqualify Kharlan be brought to justice, and calls for the disqualification of the Russian fencer for life for having engaged in a provocative act contrary to the Olympic spirit.