Kiev expects Russia to answer to Ukraine's request to question Yanukovych
Ukraine expects a response from the Russian Ministry of Justice on the request to question, via videoconference, the former President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, and the former Commander of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Stanislav Shulyak. The two are wanted for questioning for the killing of civilians by members of the Berkut at Euromaidan, as stated by the Ukrainian Minister of Justice, Pavel Petrenko, in an interview with channel 5, Interfax-Ukraine reports. The Berkut (eagle in English, specifically the Golden eagle,) was the special police division of the Ukrainian military within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
"As for the Russian Federation, in this case it is useless to make any forecasts, as the party is motivated not by legal acts and international treaties but political expediency," Petrenko said.
However, he assured that Ukraine is doing everything possible for law enforcement agencies to have "all the tools to provide evidence." He explained that the Russian Federation still has time for decision-making. Petrenko stressed that the refusal by Russia of this request does not jeopardize the investigation.
"The case against Yanukovych is in the process of criminal proceedings in absentia, and there will be no obstacles for Ukrainian law enforcement, even if Russia does not uphold the Convention or does not provide information or access to conduct investigative actions by investigators in Ukraine," he said.
"We are undertaking all actions in order for decisions to be made and the sentence imposed to the defendants in this case will be absolutely legal," the Minister of Justice concluded.
On the 23rd of June, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine sent the Russian Ministry of Justice a request by the Sviatoshynsky Court to interrogate, by videoconference, Yanukovych and Shulyak.
The Svyatoshinsky District Court of Kiev decided to interview the former President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, via video conference in the case against five former employees of Berkut, who were accused of shooting 48 activists of the Euromaidan- a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of 21 November 2013 with public protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kiev, demanding closer European integration.