During the investigation of crimes regarding law enforcers’ crackdown on peaceful activists of the Euromaidan protests, over 8,000 investigative and legal actions were conducted, according to the press service of the PGO.
5,000 witnesses and victims were questioned, more than 1,500 scheduled examinations were conducted; as well as 900 CSI inspections and inspections of objects and videos; about 500 experiments were performed.
In general, more than 60 terabytes of videos was processed and analyzed, which captured the events at the crime scene in the said period.
Read alsoNo crimes against humanity at Ukraine's Maidan - initial ICC probe saysThe PGO reported it had piled up sufficient evidence to suspect in complicity in a violent crackdown on protesters on November 20, 2013 Ukraine’s former top officials, as well as the officers from Berkut interior ministry task force.
Among the suspects is former Ukrainian president [Viktor] Yanukovych, as well as former NSDC secretary [Andriy] Klyuyev and his deputy Volodymyr Syvkovych, ex-interior minister Zakharchenko, ex-city governor Popov, former top officials of Kyiv city’s main directorate of the Interior ministry Koryak and Fedchuk, head of the public security department at Kyiv city’s main directorate of Interior Ministry of Ukraine Marynenko, Berkut unit commanders of different ranks Kusyuk, A.Didyuk, M.Tyahnyriadno, Antonov, Shevchenko Skritsky and Sadovnyk.
Also now in the court directed the indictments against Didyuk, Tyahnyriadno, Antonov, Shevchenko and Popov, others are declared wanted.
On the facts of the events of December 1, 2013 on the Bankova Street [outside the Presidential Administration], suspicion was announced to former president Yanukovych, top officials from the Interior Ministry (Zakharchenko Ratushnyak), head of the Kyiv city’s main directorate of the Interior Ministry (Fedchuk), chiefs of the internal security forces, as well as the former commander of one of the territorial battalions of Berkut, who is now arrested.
Read alsoProsecutors identify "headless" man killed during EuromaidanThe investigation established that on December 1, the Berkut troops and the soldiers of the internal security forces brutally beat 41 participants of the peaceful protest and 25 journalists. Two people suffered severe injuries, another 12 - moderate injuries, 36 - minor injuries.
Also on December 11, wrongful actions of Berkut resulted in 1 person being moderately injured, while another 15 suffered light injuries. 20 protesters were subjected to violence.
In the development of these events of December, 2013 and February, 2014, seeing that the violent dispersals fail to stop the protesters, the state law enforcement agencies resorted to criminal prosecution. The legitimacy of the actions and decisions of more than 200 employees of bodies of the ministry of internal affairs, 80 prosecutors and hundreds of judges is being investigated into by the department of special investigations of the PGO alone.
20 investigators, prosecutors and judges, suspected of illegal actions against citizens, are being tried in court.
Read alsoActivists post video, track movement of accused Berkut fighter during Maidan stand-off"In addition, a comprehensive examination is being conducted of the facts of illegal persecution of the Automaidan movement organized by senior officials of the former traffic police in conspiracy with the officials from the prosecutors’ offices, the judiciary, and other state authorities," reads the statement.
The indictments against 40 individuals, including 38 employees of the Ministry of the Interior and two judges have been submitted to courts.
The facts of abuse of authority by Berkut troops during the arrest of the Automaidan activists on January 23, 2014, in Kyiv are also being investigated into. As shown by the investigation, the detainees were subjected to violence, while their vehicles were damaged.
On these facts, two Berkut unit commanders were announced suspicion. The investigation continues.
