Judicial Watch has obtained part of the State Department communications relating to the imprisonment and death of US-Chilean YouTuber Gonzalo Lira in Ukraine for criticizing the war and the U.S. and Ukraine governments, as The Gateway Pundit reported.

Today: How the U.S. Embassy in Kiev stonewalled Gonzalo Lira's father's desperate pleas for help and then scrambled to cover their a** after his death.

Gonzalo Lira Sr. gave an interview to Tucker Carlson released Dec. 9, 2023, describing the situation and charging the U.S. Embassy in Kiev "hasn't done a thing" to help his son.

"Neither I nor his sister living in the USA have been able to communicate" with Lira, his father said. "The Embassy never visited him, except, for the first time, at his court appointment Nov. 8th."

"An American citizen is in jail because he was exercising his right of freedom of speech", Lira Sr. told Carlson. "The US government's silence suggests a degree of complicity, or at least tacit approval of Gonzalo's arrest, since nothing else convincingly explains the conspicuous lack of response."

"Did the State Department give the green light to Zelensky to put my son in jail?" Gonzalo Lira Sr. asked.

After the interview with Tucker Carlson, the pressure increased on the U.S. Embassy to do something about the case.

Senator Ron Johnson's office (R-Wisconsin) began sending inquiries to the U.S. Embassy in Kiev.

Legislative Assistant Justin Stebbins in Senator Ron Johnson's office wrote to the State Department on Jan. 8, 2024:

"We have received numerous inquiries about Gonzalo Lira's case, a youtuber arrested in Ukraine. Can you provide an update on his case? Apparently, his first Hearing was on December 10, 2023.

As I am sure you are aware, Lira has alleged he was tortured while detained in May and June and has been less than flattering about State's support. I am aware of the limitations regarding what State can do for an arrested citizen abroad and have conveyed this but it would be very helpful to have an account of the facts/status of the case according to State."

In a follow-up mail that same day, Stebbins wrote that "I am primarily concerned with State's assessment of Lira's claims of being beaten/tortured while detained in May/June. Additionally, does State expect to weigh in on (Ukrainian criminal code) 436-2, a law cited by Freedom House as problematic in general."