Over four years of investigating the Maydan cases, the State Bureau of Investigation has served 239 suspicions, and 117 indictments against 211 people have been sent to court. This was reported by the SBI press service.
"One of the most important achievements was the completion and submission to court of the largest 'Maidan case' against the ex-leadership of the state and heads of law enforcement agencies, including: the former President of Ukraine; the former head of the SBU and his first deputy; the former Minister of Internal Affairs and his deputy; the former Minister of Defence; the former Commander of the Internal Troops; the former head of the Kyiv police, his deputy and the head of the Berkut regiment," the statement said.
It is noted that these former high-ranking officials are accused of organising the murders of 67 citizens and causing injuries to 887 people from 18 to 20 February 2014.
The SBI continues to work and notes that 60,000 law enforcement officers were involved in countering 841,000 activists from November 2013 to February 2014.
For example, the Bureau completed the investigation of criminal proceedings against 20 former police officers of the Berkut special military unit subordinated to the Main Directorate of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry in Kyiv. They used firearms against participants of peaceful protests on 20 February 2014, which resulted in the death of unarmed activists. The indictments have already been sent to court.
Former Berkut commanders who tried to destroy the weapons used by their subordinates to kill participants in the Revolution of Dignity have been notified of suspicion. These weapons were used by special forces on 20 February 2014 on Instytutska Street in Kyiv to kill 48 and injure 90 protesters.
The SBI investigators are also closely examining the criminal actions of the defendants after they fled Ukraine. In particular, at the beginning of the year, SBI officers served a notice of suspicion on the former commander of the Sevastopol Berkut and three of his subordinates who fled with weapons and joined the occupier and helped Russia seize Crimea.
During 2013-2014, the traitors, together with special forces officers from other Berkut units, took part in violent opposition to peaceful protests in Kyiv.
The former high-ranking official of the Yanukovych era, Serhiy Hanzha, who is now the head of the occupiers' 'security service' in Zaporizhzhya, was also investigated by law enforcement. He was notified of being suspected of collaboration. Since 2014, the official has been on the international wanted list for high treason for his participation in the Maydan crackdown.
The SBI also announced other results of the Maydan investigation:
- the commander and the assistant chief of staff of the Lviv special unit 'Berkut', who are currently in custody, were served with a notice of suspicion for organising the murders of 3 and injuries to 125 activists on 18 February 2014;
- 9 indictments against 16 civilians for the murder of activist Yuriy Verbytskyy on the night of 22 January 2014 and 2 indictments against 7 civilians for the murder of journalist Vyacheslav Veremiy on the night of 19 February 2014 were submitted to the court;
- an indictment against the Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council for organising the dispersal of the 'Student Maydan' on 30 November 2013 was submitted to the court;
- 20 officers of the Russian Federal Security Service who assisted the then leadership of the SBU in committing high treason and inciting hatred between Euromaidan activists were exposed and prosecuted;
- 56 indictments against 67 people (8 judges and the head of the court staff, 7 prosecutors, 24 police investigators and 3 heads of police investigative units, 2 heads of regional police departments, 17 Berkut special forces, and 5 civilians - their accomplices) were submitted to the court for the unlawful detention, prosecution and detention of Maidan activists in Kyiv, Cherkasy and Sumy.
Based on the SBI materials, the court decision transferred to the state the property of the former President of Ukraine in the amount of UAH 31 million, USD 85,000, as well as 537 historical and cultural property worth about EUR 19 million, 2 land plots, and 8 buildings.
The SBI also initiated sanctions against former heads of state bodies and the recovery of more than UAH 14 million, 58 land plots, 20 houses and 26 apartments for the state.