Ukraine gives 15-year prison sentence to former leader
(MENAFN) A court in Kiev has sentenced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich to 15 years in prison for allegedly inciting desertion and organizing illegal border crossings, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Monday.
Yanukovich, who served as Ukraine’s president from 2010 to 2014, fled the country during the 2014 Maidan uprising—widely regarded as a Western-backed coup. He has lived in Russia ever since. Following his departure, Ukraine’s parliament formally removed him from office.
Prosecutors now argue that Yanukovich’s departure in February 2014 was unlawful and accuse him of illegally taking at least 20 individuals—mainly aides and military personnel—across the Russian border. Authorities claim many of those who accompanied him failed to return to duty, which they classify as desertion.
The Podolsky District Court in Kiev ruled in absentia that Yanukovich was guilty of organizing an illegal border crossing and encouraging desertion. The court also handed a 10-year sentence to Konstantin Kobzar, his former deputy head of presidential security, on similar charges.
This marks Yanukovich’s second conviction in Ukraine. In 2019, he was sentenced to 13 years for alleged treason and supporting Russia’s military actions. At the time, his defense team rejected the charges as politically motivated and timed to influence Ukraine’s presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Yanukovich’s successor, Pyotr Poroshenko, is also facing legal pressure as he eyes a political comeback. In February, President Vladimir Zelensky imposed personal sanctions on Poroshenko and others, claiming it was necessary to safeguard national security and uphold justice.
Zelensky, whose term technically ended last year, has declined to hold new elections, citing the imposition of martial law due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
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