You're reading: Kyiv court allowed to try ex-Interior Minister Zakharchenko in absentia

Kyiv’s Pechersky District Court has given permission to conduct a special pre-trial investigation of former Interior Minister of Ukraine Vitaliy Zakharchenko, Prosecutor General’s spokeswoman Larysa Sarhan posted on her Facebook page on Tuesday.

Sarhan wrote that Prosecutor General’s Office investigates whether Zakharchenko exceeded his authority during arbitrary detention of Metropolitan Oleksandr Drabynko, who was a secretary to the late head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Volodymyr.

Drobynko was allegedly kidnapped by Zakharchenko and former chief of Kyiv Police Valeriy Koryak by the order of ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.

All three, Yanukovych, Zakharchenko, Koryak, are suspects in that crime.