Court to continue considering Yanukovych high treason case on June 5-8
Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv will continue consideration of criminal proceedings on charges of ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych in high treason on June 5.
Stanyslav Shuliak, ex-commander of the Internal Troops of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine, who is currently living in Russia, was interrogated at a meeting on Thursday, as a witness of the defense side via video link from Crimea.
He outlined his version of events on the Maidan in late 2013 - early 2014. In particular, he told about figures which he knew on the number of killed and wounded law enforcement officers. Similar information he had already voiced earlier during interrogation in the Sviatoshynsky District Court of Kyiv on the case of charges of five ex-employees of the special riot police unit of the Interior Ministry 'Berkut' in the murders of activists of the Maidan on February 20, 2014.
Shuliak also believes that the appeal of Viktor Yanukovych to President Vladimir Putin dated March 1, 2014 with the request to use the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine was based on the "agreement of friendship and mutual assistance signed between Ukraine and Russia, where in the event of a threat to territorial integrity and the constitutional order of one of the countries, they can turn to each other for help."
"And on the basis of this agreement, an appeal to the Russian Federation was applied to begin consultations on the issues that are outlined there," he said.
Shuliak claims that the ex-president appealed to the Russian side with a request to consider "the possibility of using the Russian Armed Forces in the peacekeeping mission on the territory of Ukraine."
After the interrogation of this witness was completed, the court announced that the next sessions on this case would be held on June 5, 6, 7 and 8. At these meetings, the court awaits the remaining witnesses of the defense.