Ukrainian Security Service may put ‘Motorola’ militant on international wanted list again

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) may soon put head of the illegal armed group “Sparta Battalion”, Russian citizen Arseniy Pavlov (a.k.a. Motorola) on the international wanted list.

Ukrainian MP Anton Herashchenko said this on the air of 112 Ukraine TV channel.

“I think that the SBU investigators, who conducted investigation in the case of Motorola, will soon make changes, accuse him of murders, which he repeatedly admitted to commit, and he will be put on international wanted list,” the MP said.

According to him, Interpol refused to put Motorola on international wanted list, because, as, according to the organization’s statute, the people accused of participation in illegal armed groups are not put on the international wanted list. Ukrainian law enforcement officers charged Motorola under Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Creation of unlawful paramilitary or armed formations).

Interpol does not search for people accused of treason, espionage and participation in illegal armed groups.

As a reminder, Ukraine appealed to Interpol in 2015 with a request to put Russian citizen on wanted list. Arseniy Pavlov came to the occupied Donbas and led the illegal armed formation “Sparta Battalion.” Earlier, he said that he had shot dead 15 captive soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Amnesty International called for investigation into the killings, which Motorola admitted to commit.