The court placed a former Berkut officer under house arrest for the suspected killing during Euromaidan
On December 13 Pechersk District Court in Kyiv has chosen a preventive measure in a form of house arrest for Olexander Belov, a former Berkut officer from Kharkiv as reported by.
Hromadske.TV
According to Oleksandr Kovalchuk, an prosecutor of the special investigations department, a large quantity of ammunition was seized during the searches of Belov’s property.
Belov is suspected in a murder of three Euromaidan activists, Volodymyr Kishchuk, Igor Serdyuk and Serhiy Shapoval, on February 18, 2014 at Kriposniy lane. He is also suspected in wounding of approximately 20 other Euromaidan activists.
Witness confirmed that Belov fired at the protesters.
As Oleksandr Kovalchuk informed one of the witnesses recognized Oleksandr Belov at photo as the person who fired from the place where one of the activists, Igor Serdyuk, was killed.
“Belov will be serve with charge. We suspect he might flee from the justice”, added Kovalchuk.
According to the lawyer, the risks of Belov escaping have decreased “due to the collected data about him and strong social ties.”
“In addition, he is was suspended from his duties which significantly reduces the risk of him distorting the evidence,” – said the lawyer Korenkov.
Previously, Court of Appeal of Kyiv released Oleksandr Belov from pre-trial detention. Preventive measure was changed into the house arrest, from 10 pm to 7 am.
“Instead of extending the arrest time prosecutor creates conditions in order to put pressure on him and get the evidence they need,” said lawyer during the hearing.
In addition, on December 13 Court of Appeal of Kyiv extended the house arrest for two former Berkut officers, Arthem Voylokov and Vladislav Mastezi, and appointed a personal commitment for an former Berkut officer Andriy Handrykin.
Former Berkut officer, Voylokov, got assigned a preventive measure of house arrest for 2 months. He is forbidden to leave the house from 10 pm to 7 am. At the same time, the court overturned the demand to wear an electronic bracelet.
As prosecutor Kovalchuk noted during the hearing, Voylokov repeatedly failed to appear for the interrogation and neglected the ban on communication with other suspects on the case.
Voylokov’s lawyer denied these charges.
The court also extended the house arrest for 2 months for the former Berkut officer, Vladislav Mastezi, and cancled the need to wear electronic bracelet.
The court considered the continuation of the personal commitment for Andriy Handrykin. He must appear on the first request of the court and is forbidden to leave the Kharkiv district.
As a reminder, one of the four detained former Berkut officers was released from pre-trial detention in June, 2016. The court changed preventive measure for him for full-time house arrest.
