Commander of special forces unit to stand trial for dispersing protests and facilitating occupation of Crimea

Law enforcers have completed an investigation against the former Berkut commander from Sevastopol and his subordinates who took part in the 2014 crackdown on protests in Kyiv and assisted in the occupation of Crimea. They are charged with high treason and war crimes, which are punishable by life imprisonment.

This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation have completed a special investigation in absentia against the former company commander of the Berkut special forces from Sevastopol and three of his subordinates. The indictment has been sent to court.

According to the investigation, in February 2014, on the order of the highest state leadership, Interior Ministry forces, including the Sevastopol Berkut, were deployed to Kyiv from all over the country to suppress peaceful protests in support of European integration. On February 17, these security forces were issued Fort-500 smoothbore rifles and banned lead shot ammunition, which they used the next day against protesters during a peaceful march on Instytutska Street. As a result, three people were killed and more than a hundred others sustained injuries of varying severity.

After the Revolution of Dignity and Yanukovych 's escape, the defendants left for the temporarily occupied Sevastopol with their weapons. There, they sided with Russia and actively contributed to the seizure of Crimea: they set up checkpoints, illegally detained citizens, handed them over to the occupiers, and personally participated in torture. Subsequently, these individuals received positions in the occupation structures and Russian citizenship.

They are charged with abuse of power with violence, premeditated murder, attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm, participation in a terrorist act, treason, aiding the occupation, ill-treatment of prisoners of war and civilians, and other war crimes. Due to the defendants' location in the occupied territory, the investigation was conducted in absentia.

The court imposed on them a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention, which will allow them to be detained immediately after the de-occupation of Crimea. They face life imprisonment for their crimes.

Last year, a 38-year-old resident of Mykolaiv region was tried for treason. He is a former Berkut fighter who participated in the dispersal of protesters during the Maidan and later moved to the occupied Crimea.

While there, the man passed on information to Russian representatives about the deployment of Ukrainian troops in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Some of the information, in particular about the possible basing of missile units, was provided to him by his mother.

Анна Бальчінос