The militia guarding convicted terrorists had a legitimate reason to use weapons when activists tried to capture the convoy vehicle on January 10, says Valeriy Mazan, the acting head of the Interior Ministry in Kyiv.
According to Mazan, “a group of the radical activists splashed an unknown substance in the face of the judge while he was reading the verdict. Another group of the protesters blocked the exits from the inner court yard and the streets adjacent to the court so that the convoy could not exit.”
“When the convoy vehicle with prisoners tried to leave the territory of the court, protesters started to throw bottles, sticks and stones towards the courthouse, and to block the movement of the vehicle,” said Mazan.
“As a result, activists damaged the facade of the courthouse and windows, however, the police acted with restraint to prevent damage to the citizens,” said Mazan.
“I stress that the convoy officers were armed and had every right to use firearms, because it was an attempt to capture the car,” he said.
Mazan said that Berkut created a safe corridor so that the special escort vehicle could leave the court area.
“During the clash, 17 employees of Berkut were injured. One of them was hospitalized with a fracture” – added Mazan.
The authorities initiated criminal proceedings on Part 3. Art. 296 (hooliganism), Part 2, Art. 345 (Threats or violence against a law enforcement officer), Part 1, Art. 376 (judiciary interference), p.1 st.279 (blocking vehicle communications) and Art. 342 (resisting law enforcement officers) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
On January 10, the Kyiv Svyatoshin court sentenced the so-called “terrorists of Vasylkiv” Volodymyr Shpara, Ihor Mosiychuk and Serhiy Bevza to 6 years of imprisonment.
They were found guilty of intending to explode the monument to Vladimir Lenin in Boryspil during the Independence Day celebrations in 2011, of preparing a terrorist attack or improper handling of weapons and explosives, as well as calling for the overthrow of the constitutional order.
In court the protesters shouted “bandits go away!” and blocked the courthouse. Then a clash occurred between protesters and Berkut, as a result 5 activists, among which former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, were hospitalized.
Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office opened criminal proceedings for abuse of power by Berkut based on the reports in media, and on the physical injuries of former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko.
