You're reading: Popov, Koriak again suspected of involvement in EuroMaidan crackdown

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has notified former Head of Kyiv City State Administration Oleksandr Popov, former Chief of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Main Office in Kyiv Volodymyr Koriak, as well as his former deputies, Oleksandr Marinenko and Petro Fedchuk, of being suspects in involvement in the crackdown on Euromaidan in Kyiv on November 30, 2013.

The press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on
Tuesday that the suspicion had been presented as part of the
investigation into the illegal obstruction by police officers and other
persons of the holding of gatherings, rallies, marches and
demonstrations, using physical violence.

The press service said that this criminal case had currently been
combined with the proceedings on the suspicion of ex-President Viktor
Yanukovych and other persons in mass killings.

The head of the department for criminal law science at the Prosecutor
General’s Office, Viacheslav Perch, said that the courts were
continuing to consider the petitions that were sent by the former
leadership of the Prosecutor General’s Office on January 31 this year to
relieve Popov, Sivkovych, Koriak, Fedchuk and Marinenko of criminal
liability according to the requirements of the law on eliminating
negative consequences and preventing the prosecution and punishment of
persons who attended the events during peaceful assembly.

On February 16, Pechersky District Court in Kyiv supported the
position of the prosecutor’s office and freed these persons from
criminal liability. However, the victim’s lawyer did not agree with the
court judgment and lodged an appeal. On March 14, Kyiv Court of Appeals
overturned the decision and sent the case back for a new consideration
by Pechersky District Court.

The appeal is still being considered. Pechersky District Court is to hold a fourth meeting on this issue.

Perch said that the official position of the Prosecutor General’s
Office was that all those involved in the violent dispersal of peaceful
demonstrators must be prosecuted, which is evidenced by a respective
criminal investigation. This consideration does not influence the
progress of the investigation in relation to such persons.

As reported, on December 14, 2013, the Prosecutor General’s Office
accused former Deputy Head of the National Security and Defense Council
Sivkovych, Popov, Koriak and Fedchuk of abuse of office (the violent
dispersal of Maidan protesters on November 30).

In February 2014, respective criminal proceedings were closed under a court ruling in connection with the amnesty law.