Fugitive President Yanukovych to be tried in absentia in Ukraine for illegal crossing of state border – PGO
Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his former bodyguard will be tried in absentia for organizing the illegal transfer of persons across the state border and inciting desertion, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) has said.
"With the participation of prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office, the court ruled to conduct special judicial proceedings in absentia against the former president of Ukraine and the ex-deputy head of the State Security Department of Ukraine – head of the Security Service of the President of Ukraine," it said in the Telegram channel on Friday.
According to the PGO, this court ruling makes it possible to conduct a trial and make a final decision on the charges brought without the participation of the accused.
The PGO recalled that on February 23, 2014, the ex-president of Ukraine, acting together with the head of his security service and representatives of the Russian Federation, used aircraft and sea vessels of the aggressor state's naval forces and twice illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine and transported at least 20 people across it to Russia.
"On the same day, the former president, while on the territory of the military unit of the Black Sea Navy of the Russian Federation in the area of the Cossack Bay in the city of Sevastopol, incited the military personnel of the State Security Department of Ukraine, who were directly performing the tasks of ensuring his personal protection, to desertion," it said.
The ex-president was charged with organizing the illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine and inciting to commit desertion (Part 2 of Article 332, Part 4 of Article 27, Part 1 of article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
His former bodyguard was charged with the organization of illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine and desertion (Part 2 of Article 332, Part 1 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings was carried out by investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) according to a special (absentia) procedure.
