Maidan cases: nine more Berkut officers to stand trial for mass shootings on Instytutska Street
Kyiv • UNN
Nine more Berkut Black Company officers will stand trial in the case of the mass shootings of activists on Instytutska Street in Kyiv in 2014 during the Maidan
In the Maidan case, nine more officers of the Berkut Black Company will be tried for the mass shootings of activists on Instytutska Street in Kyiv - the indictment has been sent to court, the Prosecutor General's Office said, UNN reports.
Details
"Prosecutors of the Prosecutor General's Office have sent to court an indictment against nine police officers of the Berkut special purpose company subordinated to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Kyiv," the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Telegram.
The investigation reportedly found that on February 20, 2014, on Instytutska Street in Kyiv, the defendants executed an illegal order and committed, in complicity with other law enforcement officers, a number of serious and especially serious crimes organized by the top leadership of the state.
"They used service smooth-bore and automatic rifled firearms, equipped with ammunition, against the protesters. As a result, 48 protesters were killed and 90 sustained gunshot wounds," the Prosecutor General's Office said.
Subsequently, the tools of the crime were reportedly stolen, damaged and hidden. During the investigation, some of the weapons were found and identified.
The defendants are charged with premeditated murders and completed attempts to commit premeditated murders of two or more protesters, committing a terrorist act, stealing service firearms, unlawfully obstructing the organization or holding of meetings, rallies, and abuse of power (Art. 115, para. 1, 5, 12, part 2, Article 115; part 2, Article 15, paras. 1, 5, 12, part 2, Article 115, part 3, Article 258, part 2, Article 262, Article 340, part 3, Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
"Due to the fact that the defendants are hiding in the territory of the aggressor country and have acquired Russian citizenship, the case will be considered in court under a special in absentia procedure," the agency said.
Addendum
In the fall of 2023, indictments were sent to court against 11 more police officers of the Berkut special purpose company, subordinated to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Kyiv, for committing these crimes.
