Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Andriy Kliuyev was not involved in the November 30 crackdown of a pro-European rally on Independence Square, the public relations department of the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Monday.
On Monday, Kliuyev came of his own volition to the PGO’s Investigation Department, where he was interrogated, First Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Vitaliy Bilous said.
“He explained his coming by a desire to give testimony in the case concerning the events on Independence Square. Investigators established that Kliuyev had nothing to do with the events that occurred on Independence Square on the night of November 29 to November 30,” Bilous said.
He also added that Oleksandr Popov, who has been suspended as head of Kyiv City State Administration, was involved in the release of materials about the investigation into the events on the night of November 29 on Independence Square in Kyiv, which cast doubt on his testimony.
According to him, the Central Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office examined the situation with the publication of some reports of the interrogations of Popov, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Volodymyr Sivkovych and Head of Kyiv Police Valeriy Koriak.
“During the checks, we found that we need to interrogate Popov further. The investigators established that Popov was involved in the release of investigation materials. The investigators believe that the fact that he assisted in distributing this information casts doubt on some of Popov’s testimony. And in this connection, the investigator has checked all of his testimony,” Bilous said commenting on the repeat summons of Popov to the PGO for questioning.
As reported, the Prosecutor General’s Office handed Popov notification of suspicion of abuse of power during the crackdown of a pro-European rally in central Kyiv in the early hours of November 30. On Friday, December 13, Popov gave his testimony. On December 14, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych suspended him from the post of the head of Kyiv City State Administration.
In his testimony, Popov said that on that night he received a command from Kliuyev to follow orders from Sivkovych. The NSDC deputy secretary denied this.
On November 21, the Ukrainian government decided to suspend preparations for the signing of an association agreement with the EU. On the same day, people gathered on Independence Square to protest against the decision.
The agreement was not signed at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius on November 29. Berkut riot police units forcibly dispersed a rally of supporters of Ukraine’s integration with the European Union on Independence Square in Kyiv at about 0400 on November 30. Thirty-five protesters were brought to the Shevchenkivsky district police department. As many people were later reported to have sought medical attention.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians joined an opposition-led demonstration on December 1 in defiance of a court ban on holding mass events on Kyiv’s Independence Square, European Square and outside of administrative buildings.
The opposition now occupies Kyiv city hall, the House of Trade Unions and Independence Square.
