Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych has been convicted for the second time in Ukraine, this time to 15 years for inciting desertion and organizing illegal border crossing. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General in Telegram, reports UNN.
Details
"The former President received a second verdict in a Ukrainian court: 15 years of imprisonment for inciting desertion and organizing illegal border crossing," the statement reads.
A verdict was also passed on Kostiantyn Kobzar, former Deputy Chief of the State Security Department of Ukraine - Chief of the Security Service of the President of Ukraine.
In particular, as reported, the Podilskyi District Court of the city of Kyiv found them guilty of committing crimes and imposed the following penalties:
- the former President of Ukraine - 15 years of imprisonment for organizing the illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine and inciting desertion (Part 2 of Article 332, Part 4 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine);
- the former Deputy Chief of the State Security Department of Ukraine - 10 years of imprisonment for organizing the illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine and desertion (Part 2 of Article 332, Part 2 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
"The adopted verdict became another result of the Office of the Prosecutor General in the process of bringing to justice former Ukrainian high-ranking officials who contributed to Russian aggression against our state," the Office of the Prosecutor General noted.
According to the information, prosecutors of the Department of Maidan Affairs requested - 15 and 10 years of imprisonment, respectively. The court agreed that the charges were substantiated and proven and sentenced them to the maximum possible punishment.
"Prosecutors in court proved that on February 23, 2014, the ex-President of Ukraine, acting in conspiracy with the former Chief of the Security Service of the President and representatives of the Russian Federation, illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine by air and organized the transfer of at least 20 people from among his close circle and servicemen of the State Security Department," the statement reads.
It is noted that the case was considered according to the procedure of special in absentia proceedings (in the absence of the accused), since the persons are hiding from justice.
This is the second verdict for the former President. In January 2019, he was convicted of treason and aiding and abetting aggressive warfare. Then he was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment.
It was also previously reported about the suspicion of 15 former employees of the Security Service of the President of Ukraine of the State Security Department on the fact of desertion (Part 2 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Addition
In March 2023, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported that ex-President-in-exile Viktor Yanukovych and his chief bodyguard would be tried in absentia in Ukraine for inciting desertion and organizing illegal border crossing.