Kyiv's Pechersky District Court on February 7 closed criminal proceedings and acquitted former Head of Kyiv City State Administration Oleksandr Popov and former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Volodymyr Sivkovych, who were accused of abuse of power due to the violent dispersal of pro-European Union protesters on Independence Square in Kyiv on November 30, 2013, the Segodnya newspaper has reported, citing sources in court.

"The proceedings have been closed. The charges have been dropped," a source in the courts said, with regard to the decisions on Popov.

Popov's entourage has confirmed the report.

At the same time, Sivkovych told the newspaper that he does not know what he will do and where he will work: "Now I'm on sick leave: I'll make the decision when I recover."

As reported, the Berkut riot police force violently dispersed an opposition rally on Independence Square in Kyiv on November 30, 2013. This caused public outcry, and protest rallies are still being held.

On December 14, 2013, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement that National Security and Defense Council Deputy Head Volodymyr Sivkovych, Kyiv City State Administration Head Oleksandr Popov, former Kyiv police chief Valeriy Koriak and his deputy Petro Fedchuk had been notified of the suspicions regarding them. According to the document, on December 13 Popov gave testimony about his actions on November 30 and President Viktor Yanukovych suspended him as the Kyiv State City Administration head the next day. Sivkovych, Koriak and Fedchuk have been suspended as well.

It emerged on January 8 that the head of a directorate of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's main office in Kyiv had been notified of the suspicion of abuse of office during the events of November 30, 2013 at Maidan. The Prosecutor General's Office has not released the official's name.

On January 27, Yanukovych dismissed Popov as head of Kyiv City State Administration.