There has been a flurry of movement in the high-profile investigation into the murder of journalist Pavel Sheremet, including a significant change in the charges against the three suspects. It may be a coincidence, however, the developments have come immediately after comments about the case by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference on 20 May. Zelensky made it fairly clear that it was Interior Minister Arsen Avakov “who started this” and that if the case does not hold up in court, Avakov will be held responsible, with this likely leading to “staffing changes”. Such candour is all the more disturbing given allegations from the outset that the highly publicized arrests and press briefing on Dec. 12, 2019 helped Avakov prove ‘progress’ and become the only minister to retain his post after the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019.
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Halya Coynash: Shift in high-profile charges over killing of Sheremet
Friends and colleagues attend a rally wearing t-shirts with a sign "Who killed Pavel?" to commemorate journalist Pavel Sheremet who was killed by car explosion one year ago at this spot on July 20, 2017.
