Prosecutor of Donetsk region Yevhen Bondarenko has officially informed Volodymyr Sliptsov, the mayor of the town of Toretsk (formerly Dzerzhynsk) in Donbas, that he is suspected of participating in a terrorist organization and charged with encroachment on Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Investigators have established that the Toretsk mayor was involved in the preparation and holding of an unlawful referendum in the town to declare state independence of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) terrorist organization.

In particular, Sliptsov is charged with committing criminal offenses under Part 1 Article 258-3 (participation in a terrorist group or terrorist organization) and Part 2 Article 110 (encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The suspected official presided over a town council meeting on April 15, 2014, and put forth the proposal of arranging the unlawful referendum in Toretsk.

Along with the mayor and town council members, representatives of the DPR terrorist organization participated in the session, called for the recognition of the self-proclaimed republic and illegally removed the flag of Ukraine from the session hall.

The prosecutor's office is now preparing a motion for a court to decide on a preventive measure against the mayor in the form of detention.