State Investigation Bureau charges Yanukovych and two ministers with treason

The State Investigation Bureau has served former President Viktor Yanukovych and two former defence ministers, Dmitry Salamatin and Pavel Lebedev, with treason. Their actions are qualified under Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the State Investigation Bureau press-service stated.

“The pre-trial investigation established that ex-president Yanukovych, in cooperation with the former defence ministers, performed treason from 2012 to 2014. Namely, the actions aimed at ruining Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability, undermining its defence capabilities, and assistance providing to Russia and its representatives in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine, ” the statement expresses.

The charges claim the suspects deliberately reduced Ukraine’s defence capabilities through the so-called the Armed Forces “reforming”, which consisted of the reduction of individual military unions, disbandment of units and subdivisions and their redeployment in that period.

“Such actions had taken place, in particular, in the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and led to the annexation later,” the DBR informs.

Former officials face from 12 to 15 years in prison.

The DBR called the former president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych to the investigator again on June 18. On June 17, the DBR issued the requests for summonses for former defence ministers Pavel Lebedev and Dmitry Salamatin for questioning in the same criminal case. Both were summoned on June 19.

The Kyiv Obolonsky District Court  found Yanukovych guilty of treason, and aiding and abetting an aggressive war against Ukraine. He was sentenced in absentia to 13 years in prison on January 24, 2019.

Natalia Tolub