Pressure on officials responsible for investigation into crimes on Maidan reported

Four criminal proceedings have been initiated against the officers of the Special Investigations Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, who are investigating the crimes committed during the Maidan protests. Head of the Department Serhiy Horbatiuk wrote a report on the matter addressed to Acting Prosecutor General Yuri Sevruk.

This is reported by Ukrinform news agency.

“I wrote a report addressed to Yuri Sevruk over the fact of pressure on me and the Special Investigations Department, in which I described all the problems. Currently, an official investigation is conducted in this regard,” he said.

Horbatiuk said that four criminal proceedings against him and his subordinates were raised by the department for investigation into the crimes, committed by the PGO’s law enforcement officials.

“This department was established to counter the investigation into crimes against Maidan. I cannot definitely say whether they are preparing the notice of suspicion for me. However, taking into account the fact that the pressure has been lasting for a long time, there are all the circumstances for that,” Horbatiuk said, answering the question whether a suspicion of negligence is being prepared against him.

Head of the Special Investigations Department also reported that a meeting on the facts of pressure on him and his subordinates had been initiated in the Prosecutor General’s Office.

“We asked what our offense was. At the meeting, Yuri Stoliarchuk [Deputy Prosecutor General] said that it was not our business. He threatened to fire us if we were not willing to answer the inquiries,” he said.

“We are investigating the cases involving high-ranking officials. Perhaps, we are moving in a dangerous direction… Someone is clearly dissatisfied with my holding this office. Maybe, it is so because I was offered the position of the Prosecutor General or because of my intention to apply for the position of the director of the State Bureau of Investigation… Nobody says anything directly to me, but the pressure is being exerted from all the sides. It further lasts in spite of my repeated appeals,” Horbatiuk said, summing up.