Interpol Calls for Arrest of Yanukovych and Other Former Ukrainian Officials
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Version 0 of 1. MOSCOW — Interpol issued a worldwide directive on Monday seeking the arrest of Viktor F. Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine, and other former senior officials including Mykola Azarov, who was prime minister, on charges of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds. Mr. Yanukovych fled Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, last February after more than two months of sustained street protests that turned violent, leading to more than 100 deaths. He took refuge in Russia. After he left, Ukrainian citizens were able to enter his residential compound, where they discovered a bizarre tableau of vast opulence, including a private zoo, a garage filled with classic cars, and a restaurant in the form of a pirate ship. Current Ukrainian officials say the lavish residence was just one example of how Mr. Yanukovych and his associates used public funds to enrich themselves on a vast scale. In the days after Mr. Yanukovych’s disappearance, an interim government charged him with numerous crimes, including mass murder, in connection with the deaths of scores of protesters on the streets of Kiev. The directive issued on Monday by Interpol, known as a red notice, declares Mr. Yanukovych and his associates to be wanted by the Ukrainian authorities, but it is not an arrest warrant and it does not compel any nation to take him into custody. Mr. Yanukovych, who has appeared in public only rarely since he fled Kiev, is believed to be living in Russia with the permission and protection of the Kremlin. The Interfax news agency reported Monday, citing an unidentified Russian government official, that the Kremlin would consider a request to arrest Mr. Yanukovych, but that his extradition to Ukraine was “unlikely.” Interpol does not automatically issue red notices when countries ask for them; it rejects those that do not comply with its standards, including a ban on any that are deemed political. It denied an earlier red notice request from Ukraine that sought Mr. Yanukovych’s arrest in connection with mass murder and abuse of power charges. In a statement on Monday, Interpol said the new request “was in compliance with the organization’s rules and regulations.” It issued red notices for Mr. Yanukovych; Mr. Azarov, the former prime minister; a former finance minister, Yuriy Kolobov; and the former chairman of Ukrtelecom, the state-controlled telephone company. The Russian government, including President Vladimir V. Putin, has long insisted that Mr. Yanukovych was ousted in an illegal coup. On Monday, the Russian general prosecutor’s office said it had not received any request for the arrest and extradition of former Ukrainian officials. Ukraine’s interior minister, Arsen Avakov, lashed out at Russia on Monday, saying that the Russians were violating longstanding agreements among former Soviet republics that require cooperation in apprehending fugitives. In a Facebook post, Mr. Avakov said that Ukraine had given Russia information on 23 people it sought to arrest, including Mr. Yanukovych. Among the 23 are Vitaliy Zakharchenko, Mr. Avakov’s predecessor as interior minister, and Mr. Yanukovych’s son Oleksandr, who is believed to have handled business affairs for his father. In its announcement on Monday, Interpol said that its rules prohibit it from any “intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character,” and added that “this prohibition is taken extremely seriously by Interpol.” |