Ukraine files criminal charges against officers in EuroMaidan dispersal

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine filed criminal charges against two commanders and two deputy commanders of the Kyiv division of the Berkut special forces for employing excessive force when dispersing the EuroMaidan protest on Nov. 30, 2013, its press service announced on July 1. These charges include interfering with a public demonstration and abuse of authority. Two of those officers charged were relieved from their posts yet reinstated later, reported MP Serhiy Leshchenko on July 1.

In all, 15 individuals are suspects in the crime, nine of which are under search, the statement said. A Kyiv district court is currently examining criminal charges against Oleksandr Popov, who served as the de facto mayor of Kyiv.

Zenon Zawada: Once again, a step forward, but a small one at that and quite late. These charges are related to the Nov. 30 event, which ignited the historic events of the EuroMaidan. Yet the Berkut officers involved in the bloody events of January and February have yet to be prosecuted.

From an investment view, what’s important to consider in all this that dismissing, arresting and prosecuting the law enforcement authorities involved in the EuroMaidan is the most basic, essential thing that should have been done by the succeeding government in order to establish some sense of justice and trust among the public.

Instead, Leshchenko reported that all four deputy commanders of the Berkut remained employed after the maidan, under Interior Minister Arsen Avakov (one of them eventually fled to Moscow, he reports). The government is simply not doing enough to inspire trust among the public, which is undermining its efforts on all fronts.