The Office of the Prosecutor General and the State Bureau of Investigation have completed a special pre-trial investigation regarding former President Viktor Yanukovych and 16 high-ranking officials of his regime.
This was reported by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
It is noted that this pertains to criminal proceedings involving members of the criminal organization created and led by the former President of Ukraine during 2010-2014.
Kravchenko recalled that at one time, as the head of a group of prosecutors, he provided procedural guidance in the case of Viktor Yanukovych’s treason and personally signed the indictment against him for aiding in the conduct of an aggressive war by Russia. At that time, the court found Yanukovych guilty and sentenced him to 13 years in prison.
“Today, this work continues in the case concerning the system that was built for the illegal seizure, appropriation, and retention of state power,” explained the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Building the Vertical
According to the investigation, immediately after taking office in February 2010, Viktor Yanukovych began acting contrary to his oath. He used presidential powers to establish personal control over the entire state apparatus. To implement this plan, he involved people from his inner circle who had experience working in government and law enforcement agencies.
Participants in this organization obtained key positions in the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the prosecutor’s office, the Armed Forces, and the courts.
The Prosecutor General’s Office notes that they only created the appearance of lawful activity but actually worked in the interests of the fugitive president. This extensive system covered virtually all spheres of life and regions of the country, which allowed the organization’s leaders to plan and organize serious crimes.
Tragedy of Maidan
A separate block in the investigation is the events of the Revolution of Dignity, which began in November 2013 following a rejection of the course towards European integration. The leadership of the organization perceived the mass peaceful protests of citizens as a direct threat to retaining their power. At that time, Yanukovych decided to engage law enforcement agencies and the Armed Forces of Ukraine to forcibly suppress the demonstrations in central Kyiv.
The execution of this decision was entrusted to the controlled leaders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the SBU, the Ministry of Defense, and the Prosecutor General’s Office. Their joint actions resulted in brutal dispersals and the tragic events of February 18-20, 2014.
In total, during the protests, the actions of the organization’s participants resulted in the deaths of 70 civilians, and over 1200 protesters sustained injuries. Currently, 17 top officials are being held accountable, including the former prime minister, heads of security agencies, the General Staff, and the commander of Kyiv’s “Berkut.”
Since all the suspects are hiding in Russia or in occupied territories, the investigation was conducted under a special in absentia procedure.
