On June 17, it became known that the investigation into fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych and 16 former high-ranking officials in cases of the system of usurpation of power, as well as crimes against the Maidan, has been completed. This was announced by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko.
Points of attention
- Seventeen former high-ranking officials, including Yanukovych, are being held accountable for their involvement in the criminal organization's actions, with the next stage being the pursuit of justice in court.
- Despite the completion of the pre-trial investigation, the case against Yanukovych and others is ongoing, highlighting the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice for their crimes against the Maidan.
The UCP announced the results of a high-profile investigation
As Ruslan Kravchenko noted, this is a criminal proceeding against a criminal organization that was created and led by former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych in 2010-2014.
This case is of particular importance to me. At one time, as the senior prosecutor, I was the procedural leader in the treason case against Viktor Yanukovych and personally signed the indictment against him for aiding and abetting Russia's aggressive war. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to 13 years in prison.
Ruslan Kravchenko
Prosecutor General of Ukraine
As part of a large-scale investigation, it became known that after taking office as president in 2010, Yanukovych began to use his powers not in the interests of the state.
In fact, he began to establish personal control over key state institutions.
These criminal processes involved officials close to him with experience in government agencies, the law enforcement system, and the security sector.
The organization's members held influential positions in the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, law enforcement agencies, the prosecutor's office, courts, local administrations, and other state bodies. Formally, they operated within the law, but in fact they carried out tasks in the interests of Yanukovych and those associated with him.
A separate section of the case is devoted to the events of the Revolution of Dignity. After the refusal to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, mass protests were perceived by the then authorities as a threat to their continued existence. According to the investigation, Yanukovych ordered the use of law enforcement officers and the military to suppress the protests in the center of Kyiv.
The heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense, the Prosecutor General's Office, and other officials were involved in implementing these decisions. The result was the violent dispersal of protesters and the tragic events of February 18–20, 2014 on the Maidan.
According to the investigation, between November 21, 2013 and February 20, 2014, 70 civilians were killed and more than 1,200 protesters were injured as a result of the actions of members of the criminal organization.
As part of the proceedings, 17 former high-ranking officials are being held accountable, including Yanukovych, the former Prime Minister, the former Prosecutor General, the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, the metropolitan police, and the Berkut special forces unit.
At the request of the prosecution, a preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen for all of them. Since the suspects are in Russia or in temporarily occupied territories, the investigation was conducted under a special procedure in absentia.
The completion of the pre-trial investigation does not mean the end of the case. It is only the beginning of the next stage - bringing the perpetrators to justice in court.
