Criminal proceedings against former Head of Kyiv City State Administration Oleksandr Popov, former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Volodymyr Sivkovych and other officials who were accused of abuse of power due to the violent dispersal of pro-EU protesters in Kyiv on November 30, 2013 have been closed under the amnesty law, the press service of the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office has reported.

Kyiv Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Yana Sobolevska said that the proceedings against Popov, Sivkovych and other persons subject to the law introducing amendments to the law of Ukraine on eliminating negative consequences and preventing the prosecution and punishment of persons regarding the events that took place during peaceful assemblies had indeed been closed under a court ruling.

"Thus the Pechersky and Shevchenkivsky district courts in the capital have complied with the requirements of the law on the exemption from criminal liability of persons suspected, accused and convicted due to the events that took place in November and December last year," she said.

Sobolevska said that this law envisages a clear list of Ukrainian Criminal Code articles the proceedings on which should be closed.

"Therefore, pursuant to the law, all proceedings that were investigated under these articles have been closed. In the cases where the suspects were not identified during the trial, decisions on the closure were made by prosecuting authorities. In the proceedings where the persons involved were identified, as in the case on suspects Popov, Sivkovych and others, decisions on the closure were made by the courts," she said.

"Thirty-five criminal proceedings have been closed in Kyiv alone, and the provisions of this law have already been applied to 21 people," Sobolevska said.

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.