Translated by Ollie Richardson

12:10:23
06/07/2017

ria.ru

The former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine a statement concerning the coup in the country, reported lawyer Vitaly Serdyuk on Thursday to journalists.

“The statement is submitted, the defence expects it’s registration according to the standards of the current legislation,” quotes the TV channel “112 Ukraine” from his words.

Serdyuk emphasized that the statement in question concerns deliberate, accurately organized actions that did harm to Ukraine, which consist of a violent seizure of power in the State.

“These actions brought, according to the statement and the deep belief of the side of the defence and Yanukovych, negative actions in Crimea, Donbass, and in general in the country. (This involved) an organized group of persons, among which … are Avakov (nowadays the Interior Minister of Ukraine), Klitschko (nowadays the mayor of Kiev), Lutsenko (the Attorney-General of Ukraine). Pay attention to behavior of Lutsenko, who was called by the defence, but did not attend the hearing when he saw his name among the witnesses. He made an official statement and provided a clear message that Yanukovych’s video interrogation won’t take place,” he specified.

Serdyuk added that also the defence will initiate the question of gross disregard for the basic principles of justice by all those guilty in the international court.

“In a very quick period of time the documents will be filed to the international court. Both the question will be initiated and the criminal proceedings concerning the composition of the court,” he said.

The main Kiev square – Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) was occupied by supporters of European integration on November 21st, 2013, right after the statement of the government of Azarov about the suspension of signing the EU association. Later Maidan became the epicenter of a standoff between security officers and radicals, the clashes resulted in tens of victims. In February, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada discharged Yanukovych from power, he was compelled to leave Ukraine, and later Petro Poroshenko was elected the President.

After the coup d’etat in Ukraine in February, 2014, the new authorities want to make Yanukovych responsible and many former officials. Concerning the criminal cases opened against the former Ukrainian authorities, in particular, on the facts of looting public funds, financial fraud, occupation of land, and abuses of official position are investigated. Many former leaders of the country because of the threat of political prosecution were compelled to go abroad.

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