The leadership of the Batkivschyna Party has sent letters to the Interpol secretary general and the Italian government with a request to take into account "the obvious political motivation" behind Arsen Avakov's prosecution, and to release him, the party’s press service has reported.
The letters note that the former head of the Kharkiv regional state administration and the head of the Kharkiv regional branch of the Batkivschyna Party, Avakov, "as well as [former Prime Minister] Yulia Tymoshenko, [former Interior Minister] Yuriy Lutsenko, and many other opposition leaders, are accused under the notorious Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – abuse of power and official authority."
"This is a vague article of the Criminal Code… It is used by the current Ukrainian authorities to carry out repression against political opponents through selective prosecution," reads the letter to Interpol and the Italian government.
The party said that that the governments of the United States, the leading European countries and European institutions had repeatedly called on the Ukrainian authorities to amend this article of the Criminal Code, as well as to ensure the release of political prisoners and their participation in the parliamentary elections in 2012.
As reported, on March 21, Avakov was put on Interpol’s wanted list.
On March 20, 2012, Chervonozavodsky court refused to cancel an instruction on the opening of a criminal case against Avakov. He is accused of illegally transferring 55 hectares of land near Pisochyn (Kharkiv region).
On January 31, charges were brought against Avakov under Part 3, Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Avakov headed Kharkiv Regional State Administration from February 2004 until February 2010. He chairs the Kharkiv regional organization of the Batkivschyna Party
