Court releases on own recognizance person who helped Berkut officers flee Kyiv

The court chose a pre-trial restriction in form of release on own recognizance for Chairman of the organization of Afghan war soldiers “No One Except Us” Oleksandr Kovalev, suspected of taking officers of Berkut special riot police force and their weapons from Kyiv after the Euromaidan protests.

Chief of the Special Investigations Department at the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine Serhiy Horbatiuk said this to Ukrayinski Novyny Ukrainian news agency.

“A notice of suspicion was served against him, he was questioned, and a pre-trial restriction was chosen. It was not the arrest, but release on own recognizance,” he said.

In addition, the court ordered the suspect to give a passport for travels abroad, to refrain from communicating with other defendants in the case, come to the court and investigator at the first request.

According to Horbatiuk, the court decision appeared in early August.

As reported, early July the Prosecutor General’s Office established a suspect of organizing the escape of the former Berkut officers from Kyiv.

Chairman of the organization of Afghan war soldiers “No One Except Us” Oleksandr Kovalev is suspected of taking officers of Berkut special riot police force, suspected of killing Euromaidan activists, and their weapons from Kyiv in February 2014.