ОГП: investigation into attempt to create so-called “Одеську народну республіку” completed
The Office of the Prosecutor General announced the completion of the investigation against representatives of pro-Russian structures, which with the support of Russia tried to create “Одеську народну республіку”.
As stated in the press release, prosecutors ОГП sent to the court indictment against three representatives of pro-Russian structures who tried to create the so-called “Одеську народну республіку” in Odessa and were involved in organizing mass riots 2 May 2014.
Among the accused: the head of a pro-Russian public organization, the secretary of the diocese УПЦ and the head of the grouping of the movement “Антимайдан” in the Kulikovo field.
According to the investigation, at the end of February 2014, they acted in collusion with representatives of political structures of Russia and organized an event in Odessa with calls for Moscow to send troops to Ukraine allegedly for “захисту російськомовного населення”.
3 March they organized the arrival of pro-Russian activists to the building of the Odessa Regional Council, threatening its capture and trying to force the deputies to proclaim the so-called “Одеську народну республіку”.
The plan failed due to the refusal of deputies to support this initiative. Subsequently, the accused, according to the investigation, received from representatives of РФ about 40 thousand dollars США.
In March-April, they set up a camp of “Православна дружина” and “Одеська дружина” groups on the Kulikovo field, where they spread the ideas of “русского мира”, promoted the rapprochement of Ukraine with Russia and denied the legitimacy of the Ukrainian authorities. Subsequently, the participants of the groups moved to violent clashes with representatives of the “ЄвроМайдан” movement.
According to the investigation, after an agreement with the then head of the Odesa public security police on non-interference in their activities, pro-Russian groups organized mass riots 2 May 2014. The former police officer for this crime was previously convicted in another criminal proceeding.
The actions of the accused are qualified as treason and encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, committed under the previous conspiracy by a group of persons (part 1 article 111, part 2 article 110, part 2 article 28 КК Ukraine).
The accused have been hiding in Russia and the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine for a long time. A special pre-trial investigation in absentia has been conducted.
