Maidan case: pre-trial investigation completed

Maidan case: pre-trial investigation completed

The State Bureau of Investigation has completed a pre-trial investigation into fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage over the February 2014 Maydan massacre. According to the press service of the Prosecutor-General's Office, nine former top officials are involved in the case. Since all of them have been hiding outside Ukraine since 2014, the pre-trial investigation was conducted in absentia.

 

The defense has already been granted access to the materials. After familiarization, the indictment will be sent to court.

 

According to the investigation, Yanukovych, former SBU head Oleksandr Yakymenko, former Interior Minister Oleksandr Zakharchenko, former head of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kiev Valery Mazan and his deputies, former commander of Interior Ministry troops Stanislav Shulyak, former Defense Minister Pavlo Lebedev and commander of the Kiev regiment of special purpose police "Berkut" with abuse of power organized forceful suppression of protests.

 

In particular, they are accused of the use of physical violence, special means, military equipment and firearms by law enforcers and servicemen to counter and disperse protesters by force.

 

It is also reported that members of Yanukovych's criminal group organized a forceful dispersal of the march on the Verkhovna Rada in the morning of February 18, 2014, in the afternoon - storming Maidan under the guise of "anti-terrorist operation", and in the morning of February 20 - shooting protesters by the "black company Berkut" and arming "titushkas."

 

"Such actions of the former president and former heads of law enforcement agencies led to mass casualties among protesters in central Kiev, including the deaths of 67 civilians. A total of 887 civilians and 132 law enforcement officers were injured. Property damage of over 16 million hryvnias was caused," reads the report.

 

The defendants are accused of organizing from February 18 to 20, 2014 as part of a criminal group illegal obstruction of protests, abuse of power, intentional killing, as well as the organization of a terrorist attack.

 

It is also reported that 1019 episodes of criminal actions were investigated within the criminal case. The materials of the proceedings comprise more than 1,500 volumes. Prosecutors and investigators conducted more than 4,500 interrogations, more than 1,000 investigative experiments and more than 3,500 forensic, ballistic, comprehensive, cytological and chemical examinations.





The State Bureau of Investigation has completed a pre-trial investigation into fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage over the February 2014 Maydan massacre. According to the press service of the Prosecutor-General's Office, nine former top officials are involved in the case. Since all of them have been hiding outside Ukraine since 2014, the pre-trial investigation was conducted in absentia.

 

The defense has already been granted access to the materials. After familiarization, the indictment will be sent to court.

 

According to the investigation, Yanukovych, former SBU head Oleksandr Yakymenko, former Interior Minister Oleksandr Zakharchenko, former head of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kiev Valery Mazan and his deputies, former commander of Interior Ministry troops Stanislav Shulyak, former Defense Minister Pavlo Lebedev and commander of the Kiev regiment of special purpose police "Berkut" with abuse of power organized forceful suppression of protests.

 

In particular, they are accused of the use of physical violence, special means, military equipment and firearms by law enforcers and servicemen to counter and disperse protesters by force.

 

It is also reported that members of Yanukovych's criminal group organized a forceful dispersal of the march on the Verkhovna Rada in the morning of February 18, 2014, in the afternoon - storming Maidan under the guise of "anti-terrorist operation", and in the morning of February 20 - shooting protesters by the "black company Berkut" and arming "titushkas."

 

"Such actions of the former president and former heads of law enforcement agencies led to mass casualties among protesters in central Kiev, including the deaths of 67 civilians. A total of 887 civilians and 132 law enforcement officers were injured. Property damage of over 16 million hryvnias was caused," reads the report.

 

The defendants are accused of organizing from February 18 to 20, 2014 as part of a criminal group illegal obstruction of protests, abuse of power, intentional killing, as well as the organization of a terrorist attack.

 

It is also reported that 1019 episodes of criminal actions were investigated within the criminal case. The materials of the proceedings comprise more than 1,500 volumes. Prosecutors and investigators conducted more than 4,500 interrogations, more than 1,000 investigative experiments and more than 3,500 forensic, ballistic, comprehensive, cytological and chemical examinations.