Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office considers trying Russian Black Sea Fleet Commander in absentia
The Chief Military Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine received the decision of the Pechersk District Court of Kiev about the possibility of holding a special judicial investigation and the conviction in absentia of the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, Vice Admiral Oleksandr Vitko.
As a correspondent of Interfax-Ukraine reports, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko, made the statement during a press conference in Kiev on Monday. However, he stressed that "this is not just a paper, it is a big deal.”
As reported, on April 28, 2016 the Press Service of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced that Vitko, who is suspected of committing heinous crimes against Ukraine, is hiding from investigation authorities. The Prosecutor declared him wanted and the court in Kiev gave permission for the detention of the Russian military.
Earlier, Lutsenko’s press service reported that the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine announced that Vitko was suspected of committing heinous crimes against Ukraine. "On the results of the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings on the fact of the outbreak and conduct of government officials and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation of a war of aggression against Ukraine which led to deaths and other serious consequences in the form of military occupation and annexation of the territory of Ukraine, the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office reported on suspicion of committing a number of grave and especially grave crimes against Ukraine concerning the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Oleksandr Vitko.”
On the 18th of April, 2016 the official suspicion was delivered to Vitko in Sevastopol by the courier service of the international shipping DIMEX.
It is suspected that in the period from February 20, 2014 to March 21, 2014, Vitko incited to commit treason; organized the fulfillment of the actions directed on damage of the objects that have the important defense implications; planned, prepared and participated in waging aggressive war against Ukraine (part 3 of article 110; part 4 of article 27 of part 1 of article 111; part 3 of article 27, article 113; part 2 of article 28, part 1, 2 of article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation of the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office has gathered enough evidence that Vitko, together with subordinate troops, carried out a military occupation and the subsequent annexation of the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, which grossly violated a number of basic international legal acts, including the Agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the status and conditions of stay of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation within the territory of Ukraine dated on May 28, 1997.
In addition, Vitko, using his authority for the military planning and management of the divisions of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, committed the acts aimed at ensuring the military occupation of the Armed Forces of the territory of the Crimea Peninsula.