Sergey Kusiuk, a former commander of Ukraine’s Berkut riot police that took part in beating and killing activists of the EuroMaidan Revolution, is included into a new sanctions list adopted by the U.S. government on Dec. 21.
After the revolution overthrew President Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian government disbanded Berkut and put Kusiuk, who fled Ukraine in 2014, on the wanted list in 2015.
In June 2017 journalists identified Kusiuk as part of a Russian riot police unit that dispersed protests of Russian opposition in Moscow.
“Ukraine’s special investigations department investigating crimes against activists identified Kusiuk as a leader of an attack on peaceful protesters on November 30, 2013, while in charge of 290 Berkut officers, many of whom took part in the beating of activists,” reads the message published on U.S Department of Treasury website on Dec. 21.
In addition, Kusiuk ordered the destruction of documentation related to the events, and has fled Ukraine and is now in hiding in Moscow, the message reads.
The new executive order implements Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and provides financial sanctions against 13 human rights abusers and corrupt officials from around the world.
“Today, the United States is taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the U.S. financial system,” Steven Mnuchin, U.S. secretary of the Treasury said.
“Treasury is freezing their assets and publicly denouncing the egregious acts they’ve committed, sending a message that there is a steep price to pay for their misdeeds,” he added.
