Executions and terrorist attack on the Maidan: new charges were brought against Yanukovych’s associates

Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova announced changes in suspicions and new suspicions to nine members of the organized criminal group of the former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovychwho helped him stay in power by suppressing the Maidan protests by force.

She wrote about this on her Facebook page.

Among the suspects: Former Minister of Internal Affairs, Head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Kiev, their deputies, the commander of the capital’s special police regiment “Berkut”, Commander of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine and his deputy.

“Previously, they have already been prosecuted for 468 episodes of the events on the Maidan. The result of systematic painstaking work – the involvement of these persons in 1019 episodes has already been investigated. We are talking about the bloodiest days of the Revolution of Dignity from 18 to 20 February 2014”, – Venediktova wrote.

What Yanukovych’s organized criminal group has done on the Maidan

Members of the organized criminal group (OCG) of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych are suspected of abuse of power and official powers, premeditated murder and attempted murder, deliberate grievous bodily harm, as well as a terrorist act.

“Their goal was illegal obstruction of protests in the center of Kiev, and the result was mass casualties among the protesters, including the unlawful infliction of death on 67 persons. In total, 887 civilians and 132 law enforcement officers suffered from such actions of the suspects.”, – wrote the Prosecutor General.
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Events, to the organization of which, according to the investigation, the suspects were involved:

• the morning of February 18, 2014 – procession to the Verkhovna Rada in support of changes to the Constitution that limited the powers of the president. According to the investigation, the then-president, together with members of the organized group, organized a terrorist attack against the Maidanites. Their subordinates tried to prevent the protesters from entering the government quarter, using physical force, rubber batons, tear gas and flash-noise grenades, and also without an official order – firearms;
• the afternoon of February 18 until the morning of February 19, 2014 – an attempt to violently disperse the Maidan by employees of the internal affairs bodies and the Security Service of Ukraine with the involvement of the forces and means of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the guise of an anti-terrorist operation and a fire in the building of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine as a result of the so-called ATO;
• executions of protesters The “black company” of the Kiev “Berkut” on February 20, 2014 on Instytutska Street – committed the premeditated murders of 48 unarmed Maidanites and attempted murder of 85 people.

Venediktova noted that these crimes are being investigated in the so-called maidan case of Maidan, the end of the investigation of which is “the key goal for this year.”

Yanukovych trials

• On October 7, the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court in absentia chose a measure of restraint for the ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, who is now hiding in Russia. He was arrested in absentia in connection with the seizure of the land of the Mezhyhirya residence.
• On August 25, 2021, the investigating judge VAKS granted the NABU detective’s petition to grant permission for a special pre-trial investigation (in absentia) against the former owner of the Mezhyhirya state residence and his son.
• The Yanukovychs are suspected of illegal handling of the complex of structures on the territory of the Vyshgorodsky district in their favor, the damage caused to the state in this case exceeds UAH 500 million.
• This decision of the VAKS will allow to complete the pre-trial investigation against the suspects who have been hiding in Russia for 7 years.
• Earlier, NABU and SAP applied to VAKS with a petition to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention for Viktor Yanukovych and his son Alexander, who “are suspects in the case of taking possession of the Mezhyhirya residence by abuse of their official position.”

Also recall Yanukovych announced a new suspicion.