Yanukovych, his security chief Kobzar sentenced to 15 and 10 years in prison
The Podilsky District Court of Kyiv has sentenced former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and former Deputy Head of the State Protection Department Kostiantyn Kobzar to 15 and 10 years in prison, respectively.
As an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports, Yanukovych was found guilty of 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); Kobzar was found guilty of 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).
As reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, prosecutors proved in court that on February 23, 2014, the ex-president of Ukraine, acting in collusion with the former head of the Presidential Security Service 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 military personnel of the State Protection Department.
"The flight was carried out outside the state border checkpoint for air traffic. They took off in three Russian military helicopters under the control of a pilot of the Russian Armed Forces from the vicinity of the village of Urzuf, Manhush district, Donetsk region, towards the Russian Federation to the military airfield in the city of Yeysk. After staying there for some time, they flew to Anapa, and from there, on a military transport aircraft provided by representatives of the Russian Armed Forces, they headed to the Hvardiyske military airfield on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea," the Prosecutor General's Office informs.
"Later, the ex-president decided, with the assistance of the Russian Armed Forces, to finally leave Ukraine. While on the territory of the military unit of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the area of Cossack Bay in the city of Sevastopol, he incited the servicemen of the Ukrainian State Protection Department, who provided his personal security, to desert and leave for Russia. The ex-president was taken out of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by sea by Russian military personnel," the press release states.
As a result, some state security personnel left Sevastopol for the Russian Federation by sea vessel with the ex-president. They did not return to military service.
"The route of the fugitive president's movement through the territory of Ukraine and Russia was drawn up, fully controlled and accompanied by employees of the Federal Security Service and military personnel of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation. It was agreed directly with the Russian President," the message states.
The case was considered under the procedure of special judicial proceedings in absentia (in the absence of the accused), since the individuals are absconding from justice.
In January 2019, Yanukovych was convicted of high treason and aiding and abetting in waging an aggressive war (Part 1 of Article 111, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Some 15 former employees of the Security Service of the President of Ukraine, the State Protection Department, were also previously charged with suspicion of desertion (Part 2 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).