Former Ukraine president files claim with European human rights court

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych filed a claim with the European Court for Human Rights for the repeated violations of his rights by the Ukrainian government, reported the London law firm handling his case, Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP. Yanukovych’s application asks the court to declare violations of his right to a fair trial, the right to an effective investigation of attempts made upon his life, the right to protection and the right not to be discriminated against because of his political status and opinions. “President Yanukovych has brought this action now because it is clear that the Ukrainian authorities are determined to bring prosecutions against him,” said Joe Hage, Yanukovych’s UK lawyer. “They have allowed unfair trails to proceed, which infringe his basic human right to be present and to defend himself against allegations that President Yanukovych vigorously denies.”

The same law firm announced on Oct. 13 that Yanukovych’s son, Oleksandr, also lodged a claim with the same court on the grounds that Ukraine repeatedly breached his human rights, including his right to peaceful enjoyment of property, his right to a fair trial and his right not to be discriminated against because of his status as the son of the former president.

A fraudulent letter, alleged to have been produced by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, was submitted to Spanish law enforcement authorities in an attempt to release on bail Yuriy Kolobov, the finance minister for former President Yanukovych, reported on Oct. 19 the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The letter contained a fabricated signature by Deputy Prosecutor General Yuriy Stoliarchuk and alleged that Kolobov is a witness, and not a suspect, in the criminal case filed against him by Ukrainian authorities for theft and abuse of authority. Spanish authorities said they received the letter from Kolobov’s attorneys.

Zenon Zawada: Ukrainian law enforcement authorities insist that the prosecutions of the Yanukovych entourage require careful work and time. Yet the longer these investigations drag, the more time the Yanukovych officials have to organize their defenses and allege abuses on behalf of Ukrainian authorities, whose performance has been an enormous disappointment for the Ukrainian public. It will be a national disgrace and political death knell for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko if Yanukovych is able to successfully defend himself against criminal charges in the European courts.

We also share the widely held view that corruption in the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, as cited by top U.S. officials, is hampering the prosecutions of these officials. While Stoliarchuk might not have been the author of such a letter, a corrupt subordinate could very well have been. Such antics further buttress the U.S. government’s claim that the Prosecutor General’s Office must be entirely overhauled.