Ukraine authorities make key arrest in Handziuk murder case

A court ordered on Nov. 12 the arrest of Ihor Pavlovskiy,
the former aide to Poroshenko Bloc MP Mykola Palamarchuk who is suspected by
activists of participating in the murder of Kherson civic activist Kateryna
Handziuk. Pavlovskiy was detained by Security Service agents on murder charges,
according to various news reports. The court denied him bail. Civic activists
believe he acted as the intermediary between those who ordered the July 31 acid
attack on Handziuk, who died last week, and those who carried it out.

The Poroshenko Bloc issued a statement the same day on
Palamarchuk’s behalf declaring his innocence in Handziuk’s murder. It mentioned
that Palamarchuk dismissed Pavlovskiy as his aide once he learned that he was a
suspect in the murder. “I declare that I, like no one else, am interested in an
objective and quickest possible investigation of the crime against Kateryna
Handziuk, as well as establishing all those responsible for this crime,” the
statement said. “I stated and I continue to state that I don’t have any
relation neither to the murder, nor any events related to Kateryna Handziuk.”

Zenon Zawada: Although
numerous Ukrainian activists have been attacked or even killed in recent years,
Handziuk’s case has drawn the attention of Western authorities because of the
gruesome nature of her murder (acid attack), as well as her having worked for
various Western-sponsored NGOs in Ukraine. We believe this is the main
motivation for the Prosecutor General’s Office ordering Pavlovskiy’s arrest.

Now the question becomes whether he will name the orderers
of the acid attack. Among those suspected by civic activists is Poroshenko Bloc
MP Palamarchuk. If Pavlovskiy names Palamarchuk, we believe the Poroshenko Bloc
will be willing to exclude him from its parliamentary faction, strip his
political immunity and allow for his prosecution. Again, this would happen only
because this case has drawn the attention of Western authorities, who will base
their cooperation with Ukraine on various efforts on whether Handziuk’s killers
are prosecuted.