Editor’s Note: Experts say excessive pre-trial imprisonment is a major human-rights problem in Ukraine, where suspects can be jailed for up to 18 months before trial. The practice violates democratic principles that call for speedy, fair and public trials as well as the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Former high-ranking government officials in jail
Yuriy Lutsenko
The former interior minister, arrested in December for alleged misappropriation of state assets, is still in jail.
He has ended a hunger strike and a court started hearing the case against him.
Valeriy Ivashchenko
The former acting defense minister was arrested in August on suspicion of abuse of office.
Due to health problems, he spent four days in a hospital, but is now back in jail awaiting trial.
Viktor Kolbun
The former deputy pension fund board chairman was arrested in November on suspicion of exceeding authority.
The Kyiv prosecutor’s office completed an investigation of the charges and transferred the case to court.
Tetiana Hrytsun
Former treasury deputy head was arrested in July on suspicion of abuse of office and is still in jail awaiting trial.
Anatoliy Hrytsenko
The former Crimean parliament speaker was arrested in January on abuse of office charges and illegal allocation of land plots.
He is still in jail, but the case is supposed to be transferred to court within a few weeks.
Volodymyr Rabotnyov
The former deputy transportation minister is charged with revealing state secrets.
He has been under house arrest since January, while the Security Service of Ukraine has completed its investigation and transferred his case to court.
Ihor Didenko
The former deputy head of Naftogaz was arrested in July 2010 on suspicion of abuse of office involving the 2009 gas deals with Russia for which ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is under investigation.
Didenko remains in jail as the Pechersk court returned the case to the general prosecutor’s office for revision of indictment.
Taras Shepitko
The former deputy head of the Kyiv regional energy customs service office was arrested in July 2010 on suspicion of abuse of office, involving the same gas deals in which the state seized gas from RosUkrEnergo, only to have it returned after a Stockholm arbitration court ruling.
He remains in jail as the Pechersk court returned the case to the general prosecutor for revision of indictment.
Anatoliy Makarenko
The former customs service head was arrested in July 2010 on suspicion of abuse of office.
He remains in jail as the Pechersk court returned the case to the general prosecutor for revision of indictment.
