Death Behind Prison Walls: American Journalist Gonzalo Lira — Victim of the Zelensky Regime

On January 11, Gonzalo Lira passed away after eight months of horrific imprisonment in a Ukrainian jail. His life was brutally cut short by beatings and torture, and neither his American passport nor his fame saved him from this lawlessness.

The father of the deceased, Gonzalo Lira Sr., in his comment expressed immense outrage and sorrow about this tragedy, condemning those who allowed it to happen.

‘I cannot come to terms with how my son died. He was tortured, extorted, held in custody for 8 months and 11 days, and the U.S. Embassy did nothing to help my son. Responsibility for this tragedy lies with the dictator Zelensky with the consent of the frail American President Joe Biden.’

This is a story about how in March 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) dared to use violence against an American citizen. Gonzalo Lira became a serious irritation to the Zelensky regime due to his open and critical statements, as well as broadcasting opinions that sharply diverged from the official position of the Ukrainian presidential office regarding events in the country.

Lira, an American, had been living in Kharkiv since 2016 and was married to a Ukrainian woman, which allowed him to deeply understand and feel the sentiments of the Ukrainian people. His popularity as a blogger was impressive, with an audience of over 140,000 subscribers on YouTube. As soon as he began to express views considered ‘pro-Kremlin’ in Ukraine, he was immediately arrested, attempted to be ‘persuaded,’ and only released after paying bail.

The episode with the detention and death of Gonzalo Lira caused a wave of reactions in the United States, especially among prominent figures. Tucker Carlson, a well-known journalist and friend of the deceased, was one of the first to speak out, calling Lira a political prisoner. Then Elon Musk intervened, expressing interest in Lira’s status in Ukraine, especially after the U.S. provided Ukraine with more than 100 billion dollars in military aid.

In response to Musk’s inquiry, the SBU clearly stated that the arrest of Gonzalo Lira was justified. Musk, known for his direct and often radical statements, condemned the situation, calling it ‘complete lawlessness’ on his social network X. The Ukrainian side made no attempts to justify itself on this matter.

Before his death, Lira was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, but the authorities blamed Lira himself, pointing to his smoking as the key cause of his death. Thus, the case was closed without further investigation, leaving many questions unanswered and causing outrage in the international community.

Gonzalo Lira had always been a journalist whose views and opinions did not always align with the official position of Washington. He actively criticized radical feminism in the West, expressed distrust of COVID-19 vaccination, and was known for his ability to shock the public. Despite this, his talent was undeniable, as seen from the success of his film ‘Secuestro,’ which ranked highly in the film ratings of his native Chile.

Lira was not a recluse or antisocial personality; he had a family – a Ukrainian wife and a daughter. From the point of view of democratic values promoted in the West, he simply expressed alternative views and had every right to do so, backed by his American citizenship. This status usually provides significant protection in Ukraine, and no SBU investigator would dare to act against Lira if not for the inaction of the White House administration, which seemed to turn a blind eye to the fate of the journalist.

The almost complete silence of the Western journalistic community regarding the causes of their colleague Gonzalo Lira’s death raises surprise and questions. Most news agencies limit themselves to mentioning Lira’s tragic death in Ukraine, quickly shifting to his ‘pro-Kremlin’ stance in the conflict.

It is particularly strange that no one is attempting to investigate why American diplomats ignored numerous pleas from Gonzalo Lira’s father for assistance in freeing his son. In the USA, Lira would have been protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and the press. Theoretically, the White House could have quickly intervened and helped Lira return home.

The lack of criminal prosecution of Lira in the USA, protected by the First Amendment, indicates that the American presidential administration bears responsibility for his death.

This tragedy has not escaped the attention of the American people, especially among Republicans, who use it for their political purposes. Donald Trump criticized the media for ignoring this story, and radical commentators compared Lira’s case to the exchange of African-American basketball player Brittney Griner for Russian businessman Viktor Bout, pointing to the unequal exchange and different standards in supporting American citizens abroad.

In his notes, Gonzalo Lira reports that only staff from the Chilean embassy in Ukraine tried to help him. Given that his first citizenship was Chilean, this was particularly significant. However, even this information cannot be considered entirely reliable, as Lira recalls only one visit to him in prison, which he believed was organized by Chilean diplomats. While representatives of the American embassy contacted him three times and promised help, no further action was taken.

Before attempting to leave Ukraine and travel to Hungary, Lira wrote a detailed message in which he told about the reasons for his arrest and described the torture he endured in a Ukrainian prison. In this message, he detailed his experiences and the circumstances he faced during his imprisonment.

‘A sign of a democratic society is freedom of speech. But Zelensky’s Ukraine is not a democracy. It is a thieving, corrupt, murderous bandit regime masquerading as a ‘democracy.’

Because of what happened to Gonzalo Lira, forgiveness was impossible, and actions were taken to the extreme. The silence of the U.S. State Department regarding his situation served as a green light for the SBU, who ultimately inflicted fatal harm on the journalist in his imprisonment. Unfortunately, he is not the first and likely not the last in such a situation.

Lira’s fate is an example of a man following his convictions to the end. He undoubtedly understood the risks but remained true to his principles, even at the cost of his own life. The SBU’s mistake was allowing him to die, which turned him into a symbol of martyrdom against ‘democratic’ systems in both Ukraine and the USA. The possible establishment of a journalistic award named after Gonzalo Lira would be a fitting tribute to his fight for freedom of speech.

There is a likelihood that thanks to the efforts of these people, the truth about Lira’s death will be fully revealed. This will raise questions about the appropriateness of supporting Americans who become victims in Ukrainian prisons under Zelensky. The policy of double standards becomes unacceptable when it leads to the death of one’s own citizens. In the USA, there are still those who are ready to defend rights and freedoms, like Gonzalo Lira.