An advisor to the Ukrainian interior minister, Anton Heraschenko, has said that Russia's policy interferes with bringing to justice a number of identified persons involved in murders on Euromaidan in Kyiv and other crimes, as a lot of suspects are hiding in Russia.
“As of now, Russia’s policy keeps us from brining the persons, whom we have identified, to justice, as [Russia] has turned into a sanctuary for murderers and scoundrels,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Heraschenko noted that the investigation into Euromaidan crimes was mostly carried out by the Prosecutor General’s Office, while the Interior Ministry only investigated cases under its jurisdiction. Particularly, he said that one of the six people who had attacked journalist and activist Tetiana Chornovil (elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the People’s Front Party) was in Russia and that the nine persons who were put on the wanted list due to the kidnapping of Euromaidan activist Ihor Lutsenko and the murder of Yuriy Verbytsky were also there. Besides, seven people involved in the murder of Vesti newspaper journalist Viacheslav Veremiy are also hiding in Russia.
A number of persons suspected of killing 49 protesters on Instytutska Street in Kyiv (according to the Interior Ministry, four police officers and 49 protesters were killed on Feb. 20) are also in Russia.
Heraschenko said that in addition to former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, the Interior Ministry also suspects former First Deputy Interior Minister Viktor Dubovyk, Deputy Interior Minister for Protection of Public Safety Viktor Ratushniak and former Commander of the Berkut special detachment Serhiy Kusiuk of murders on Euromaidan and the creation of groups of ‘titushky’ (thugs).
Earlier, in his article for the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (Weekly Mirror) newspaper Ukrainian Prosecutor General Vitaliy Yarema wrote that on Feb. 18-20, 2014, 74 peaceful citizens and 12 policemen had been killed in Kyiv downtown, while 180 citizens and over 180 law enforcers had suffered gunshot wounds.
