The ex-commander of Berkut in Akyar (Sevastopol) faces imprisonment on charges of encroaching on the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine.
It is known that during 2013-2014, the former Berkut commander and three other employees of the same section participated in forceful counteraction to protests in Kyiv. In particular, according to the investigation, the suspects guarded the Administration of the President of Ukraine on the night of February 20-21, 2014, receiving an additional 40 weapons.
“The ex-commander even boasted in the media about his participation in the execution of unarmed Maidan activists. With his direct participation, 3 protest participants were killed, 15 citizens were seriously injured, 60 were moderately injured, and 126 were lightly injured”,- the State Bureau of Investigation reported.
At the end of February, the suspects returned to Aqyar (Sevastopol), where, having learned about the disbandment of Berkut, the ex-commander hid in a local hospital and began to wait for the arrival of Russian aggressors in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. After the start of the occupation, he instructed his subordinates to be on duty at checkpoints created by the Russian Federation.
“Ex-Berkut officers, without any authority, inspected vehicles, checked documents of citizens who entered the peninsula, did not allow international observers, journalists, law enforcement officers and military personnel there, thereby helping Russia temporarily occupy the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea”,- the SBI emphasizes.
For his work, the former commander was elected senator to the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.
All accused were informed in absentia of suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 262 (Taking possession of the subject of a crime by abusing an official’s official position without signs of misappropriation forms a qualified crime), Part 1 of Art. 111 (High treason is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 12 to 15 years with or without confiscation of property) and part 3 of Art. 110 (Encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine).
Crimeans who have already cooperated with the occupation authorities and those who are planning to do so, think about it!
The deoccupation of Crimea will soon take place, and you are being closely monitored even now, and each of you will sooner or later be punished. But is it worth receiving such long sentences for a state that systematically commits terrible crimes?
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center systematically works in this direction and already has several ready-made products:
Methodology for assessing the feasibility of introducing personal sanctions against persons collaborating with the occupation authorities in Crimea. This methodology can be applied both in Ukrainian legislation and also contribute to the universal formation of sanctions lists for international partners.
The “Are you subject to sanctions?” test, with the help of which every resident of Crimea can find out the extent of their collaboration by answering just a few questions
Clickable diagram “Classification of people, responsible for human rights violations in the occupied Crimea”, which is constantly updated on the CTRC website and contains information about persons involved in human rights violations in Crimea, including collaborators.