KHARKIV – The colleagues of the head of the Kharkiv regional branch of the Batkivschyna Party, the former head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Arsen Avakov, who was detained in Italy, believe that he should ask for political asylum, BYT-Batkivschyna faction deputy Serhiy Pashynsky has said.
"We will categorically demand from Arsen Borysovich [Avakov] that he ask for political asylum, and I hope that his lawyers will submit respective petitions," he said on Channel 5 on March 27.
He expressed confidence that political asylum would be granted, as Avakov "is subject to political persecution" in Ukraine. Pashynsky also noted that he was ready to testify about the facts supporting the political component in the Avakov case in an Italian court.
"A preliminary hearing will be held in an Italian court in Rome in the next few days. There is a petition. I expressed my intention to be interrogated as a witness for the defense team," Pashynsky said.
On March 27 reports of Avakov’s detention in Italy were confirmed. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said that it was preparing a package of documents for Avakov’s extradition to Ukraine. In this regard, the leadership of the Batkivschyna Party sent letters to the Interpol secretary general and the Italian government with a request to take into account "the obvious political motivation" behind Avakov’s criminal prosecution, and release him.
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.
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.
