Ukraine: the investigation is over, the case of the Maidan shootings has been sent to court

A large-scale investigation against the former leadership of Ukraine for organizing the dispersal and execution of demonstrators on February 18-20, 2014, which was conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine, has been completed.

UCP prosecutors sent the indictment against ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and the country’s then-power bloc to court, as reported on official website Attorney General’s Office.

Former high-ranking officials are accused of committing serious crimes in the shootings on Maidan:

• President of Ukraine;
• Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine;
• Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine;
• head of the SBU;
• First Deputy Head of the SBU – Head of the Anti-Terrorism Center;
• Minister of Defense of Ukraine;
• Head of the Main Directorate – Commander of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine;
• and about. Head of the Main Department of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Kyiv;
• Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine – Head of the Public Security Police;
• commander of the PMOP “Berkut” at the GUMVD of Ukraine in Kyiv.

Investigation GBR established that it was these officials who in February 2014 made decisions and gave orders for the use by law enforcement officers, without reason and in violation of the norms of current legislation, of special means, military equipment, firearms for forceful counteraction and dispersal of demonstrators in the center of Kiev, and the termination protests.

The ex-officials organized an assault on the Maidan under the guise of an “anti-terrorist operation”, and on the morning of February 20 they gave the order to shoot the protesters. It was established that this was done in excess of power, official authority, and without legal grounds.

The criminal actions of the former president and ex-leaders of law enforcement agencies led to massive casualties among protesters in the center of the Ukrainian capital, including the death of 67 civilians. A total of 887 people and 132 law enforcement officers were injured. Property damage amounting to more than 16 million hryvnia was caused.

In order to avoid responsibility for their actions, the former officials fled from Ukraine, so the pre-trial investigation was carried out according to a special procedure, and the investigating judge chose a preventive measure in the form of detention against them.

The criminal proceedings combine 1,019 episodes of criminal obstruction of protests and contain 1,878 volumes of collected materials. The ex-president and leaders of the security bloc are accused of:

• in organizing from February 18 to February 20, 2014, as part of a criminal group, illegal obstruction of meetings, rallies, processions and demonstrations;
• law enforcement officials exceeding their official powers;
• in premeditated murders and completed attempted murders;
• causing intentional grievous bodily harm;
• organizing a terrorist act.

The pre-trial investigation established that the former head of the SBU and the commander of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR served in the armed forces of the Russian Federation and, as a result, received Russian citizenship, received access to military and state secrets of the Russian Federation, took the oath of allegiance to its people and were in all types of support in the armed forces of the Russian Federation. By giving orders to use violence against protesters, they acted in the interests of the Russian Federation, to which they swore an oath.

Considering that some of the accused are hiding in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the latter will be taken into custody and handed over to the court immediately after the liberation of these territories by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Bureau of Investigation notes.

Maidan shooting:

Source link