An appeals court late on July 2 reversed a lower court order and released Valentyn Lykholit, the founder and ex-commander of the volunteer Aidar Battalion, from two months of pretrial detention on charges of robbery. The reversal came after massive protests by supporters of Lykholit, who recently served in the 72nd brigade of the Ukrainian Army.
See the photo gallery of the protests here
The July 1 detention order by Pechersk District Court of Kyiv spurred a protest in the center of Kyiv. Lykholit’s supporters blocked Khreshchatyk Street, put a tent there and called for public help in demanding the immediate release from jail of Lykholit.
The Court of Appeals released Lykholit after Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko took the case under his personal control on July 2.
“He was released after giving his word to appear when summoned by the investigator. We trust the officer’s word,” Lutsenko told 112 TV channel.
On July 1, Yegor Sobolev, Samopomich Party lawmaker and the head of parliament’s anti-corruption committe, wrote on Facebook that Lykholit was arrested by military prosecutors after Valentyn Kozakov, the former mayor of Severodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast complained about robbery by Aidar soldiers.
Sobolev wrote, referring to Lykholit by his nickname: “I
can’t believe in it. The legendary “Batya” was arrested because of accusations
of separatists from Luhansk Oblast, who surrender the town to the so-called
Luhansk People Republic during their rule. They claimed Batya’s soldiers stole
their camera and some other material values.”
Luhansk mercenaries ruled in Severodonetsk, a city of 109,000
people that is 750 kilometers east of Kyiv, until July 2014, when the Ukrainian
army liberated residents.
After the judge announced the order, activists, lawmakers and
the soldiers from the volunteer Azov, Donbas and Aidar battalions blocked the
court.
“Our demand is simple. The court must release Lykholit. He
wasn’t hiding from justice, serving in the Ukrainian army. Those who
compose themselves, saying Batya’s actions weren’t in conformity with the law,
should understand that you will be next. They will find accusations against all
the patriots, “ wrote Sobolev on July 2.
According a prosecutor’s press release on July 1, two Aidar
Battalion soldiers were declared suspects in several acts of armed robbery,
looting, kidnapping.
Althougth activists continued to block the court since 3 a.m. on July 2, prosecutors at first said they
would not change their
minds.
“The verdict is based on numerous evidence and witnesses’
statements, prosecutors got during the court hearings in similar cases not only
in 2014 and 2015,” a July 2 pres release from the military prosecutor said.
Valentyn Lykholit, the founder and ex-commander of volunteer Aidar Battalion, who recently served in the 72nd brigade of the Ukrainian Army stands in the prisoner’s box at the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv on July 1. (photo by Yegor Sobolev/ Facebook)
Prosecutors alleged that Lykholit and 10
his soldiers formed a gang that robbed the estate of mayor of Severodonetsk in
July 2014. Lykholit is also accused of kidnapping three people.
Another witness told prosecutors that Batya’s gang stole his Lexus RX 450 car,
his weapon and other values in 2014 and Lykholit told him on the phone that he
will help to return his property in exchange for financing his election
campaign to Verkhovna Rada during the Verkhovna Rada election in 2014.
Lykholit stood in elections as an independent candidate from
Dnipropetrovsk.
Lawmakers and activists didn’t claim Lyakholit was
innocent.
“Selective justice is the lack of justice. When one by one
Ukrainian patriots are getting in jail, while the businesses of Rinat Akhmetov,
Vadym Novinsky and others are better and better, this means Putin is winning,”
wrote Sobolev, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the evening on July 2 when it became clear that protestants are not going to leave Khreshchatyk Street, Lutsenko came to the Pechersk District Court to take part in the trial.
“Batya is free by the decision of the Court of Appeal! That’s what we can do when we are united,” wrote Sobolev after Lykholit was released.
Valentyn Lykholit, the founder and ex-commander of volunteer Aidar Battalion, poses for a photo. (photo by Yegor Sobolev)
Kyiv Post staff writer Veronika Melkozerova can be reached at [email protected]
