Lutsenko reads out accusations of treason against Yanukovych

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has read out official accusations of high treason that have been brought against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

"Given the fact that Yanukovych is outside [the country], does not appear under subpoena and is actually hiding from Ukraine's law enforcement agencies, the charges are being announced in verbal form. But the notice of suspicion was sent one hour ago to all known addresses and the place of last residence of Viktor Yanukovych. After my speech it will be handed over to his lawyer. The above-mentioned notice of suspicion has been drafted by me as Prosecutor General of Ukraine," he said.

According to Lutsenko, criminal proceedings of this case No. 42016000000001594 are being investigated by the main military prosecutor's office. "According to the notice, Viktor Yanukovych is suspected of the fact that on March 1, 2014, as a citizen of Ukraine, staying at an undisclosed location in territory of the Russian Federation, acting intentionally, in violation of Articles 1, 2, 65, 68, 132, 133, 134 of the Constitution of Ukraine, he committed an act of high treason.

What is more, to assist the Russian Federation and its representatives in violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, hoping for support and protection from the authorities of the Russian Federation for further long-term stay in that country and to avoid criminal responsibility in Ukraine, to legitimize actions by the authorities and officials of the Russian Armed Forces, [namely] incursion and occupation of the Crimean peninsula by the Russian armed forces, while realizing clear unlawfulness of his actions, he signed an address to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the use of the armed forces of that state in territory of Ukraine, thereby he assisted a foreign state in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine...," Lutsenko said.

Lutsenko announced that Ukraine's damage due to the loss of state-owned facilities in the areas occupied by Russia was estimated at UAH 1.080 trillion (about US$42 billion). "And now, not as Prosecutor General, but as a citizen of Ukraine, I accuse Yanukovych of the fact that he opened the door to aggressive war against our country, he destroyed the sovereignty of the state whose Constitution he swore an oath of allegiance to. As a result of which, 2,263 soldiers have been killed, 8,394 people have been injured, and one million seven hundred [about 1.7 million as of the end of October 2016, according to Ukraine's Social Policy Ministry – the translator's note] have become refugees... It's all on the conscience of the one who dares to lie in the eyes of all the Ukrainian people today. The day of reckoning is nearing," he said.

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