You're reading: Ukrainian prosecutor’s office sets up directorate to probe crimes against humanity in Crimea, Donbas

Ukrainian investigators have questioned a number of people, wjo were members of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) and the Cabinet of Ministers during Russian annexation of Crimea, who could influence the decision making process, Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios said with regard to the investigation of the Crimean annexation, which is conducted by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office.

“A directorate to investigate crimes against international law and humanity was created in Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office. This directorate is tasked with only one case, it examines events that occurred from February 24, 2014, until the conclusion of the first Minsk ceasefire agreement in September 2015,” Matios said at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada National Security and Defense Committee on Feb. 9.

T he chief military prosecutor said that currently a number of governmental and NSDC members had been questioned, “as well as all the officials who had power, and whose will, duties and obligations determined this or that decisions, either with regard to the state management or the execution [of the decisions taken].”

Matios also noted that Ukrainian courts had already ruled to seize important documents and declassify materials which would be presented at the next meeting of the Verkhovna Rada National Security and Defense Committee.

“Now, based on the court decisions seizures are being conducted, including of the secret documents of that time and those stored in the NSDC, presidential administration, ministries and departments, Ukraine’s Security Service, Internal Affairs Ministry,” Matios added.

According to him, these documents say that ” certain decisions were taken collectively, on the basis of well-known intelligence and real-life assessment of the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian state’s representatives in Crimea, [and that those decisions] were stipulated solely by pragmatic assessment of possibilities and abilities to withstand direct military, informational, practical and political aggression.”

Matios stressed that oppression of pro-Ukrainian citizens in Crimea was carried out by “individuals, who were integrated during January-February, or by retired Russian intelligence officers under the auspices of the Russian non-governmental organizations, by representatives of Russia and by Russian citizens.”

“All those who then demonstrated separatism and orchestrated its first manifestations, as well as the hostilities in Donbas, have rehearsed it, and were practically involved in the coordination of the hybrid warfare strategies in Crimea, namely, [Donbas militants’ commanders Igor] Girkin, [Igor] Bezler,” Matios added.