The ECtHR has begun considering Yanukovych’s complaints against Ukraine
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has accepted the complaint of ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, who said that the Ukrainian judiciary had an advanced attitude towards him and that Ukraine refused to investigate the assassination attempt on him.
The ECtHR’s communication, issued on 2 November, states that the complaint was lodged in October 2015. In the fall of 2021, the court began considering Yanukovych’s application and asked the Ukrainian government to comment in writing on the claims.
In the complaint, Yanukovych, in particular, states that in 2014 there were a number of attempts on his life. This is an event on February 21, 2014, when unknown people tried to detain vehicles from a convoy heading towards Kharkiv. The motorcade, which passed through Kyiv, Cherkasy, Poltava and Kharkiv regions, passed five checkpoints. Attempts were made to block cars at the first three checkpoints. Cars were fired at the last two checkpoints. Three cars were damaged and an escort soldier was wounded, Yanukovych said in a statement.
Yanukovych also claims that on the same day at the checkpoint near Uman, unknown people opened fire on cars from a convoy heading towards the Crimea.
“The applicant did not travel with the motorcades during the possible attacks,” the published document reads.
On December 10, 2014, Yanukovych’s lawyer wrote to a number of government agencies asking about a criminal case of attempting on the life of the ex-president. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine replied on December 26, 2014 that it had not received any statements or reports on the state of affairs of Yanukovych between February 21, 2014 and February 23, 2014 and that none had been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations. On December 23, 2014, the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that it had not initiated any criminal cases involving possible attempts.
On January 26, 2015, the lawyer filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General’s Office alleging an attempt, but on January 31, 2015, the prosecutor’s office refused to initiate an investigation, and no reliable information was provided about the detection of the attempt.
Uzi, the former president, also said that the investigation underway in Ukraine was too long. In addition, the investigation was conducted in absentia, “is neither independent nor impartial and alleges that the trial in his case was not fair.”
Yanukovych also considers the violation of the presumption of innocence by the court statements of Ukrainian officials.