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Interpol rejects Ukrainian queries to place former administration officials on wanted list

Interpol perceives political motivations in their prosecution

KIEV, November 24. /TASS/. Interpol rejects the requests from the Ukrainian prosecutors to place government officials from the administration of former President Viktor Yanukovich on international wanted lists as it perceives political motivations in their prosecution, Sergey Gorbatyuk, the chief of the special investigations department at the Prosecutor General's Office said on Monday.

"Surely we have a procedure for issuing sentences in absentia but one of its main conditions is the placing of a person on the international wanted list," Ukrinform news agency quoted him. "Materials on each official have been submitted to Interpol but the answers it gives us on all the cases related to the Maidan contain reference to paragraph 3 of their bylaws, which means they see the elements of political persecutions and refuse to put the requested persons on the wanted lists."

Gorbatyuk also spoke about a bill that would make the sentencing in absentia possible without the latter formality. "The Rada is scrutinizing it at present and I hope will be discussed shortly," he said.

Interpol placed President Yanukovich on the international wanted list at Ukraine's request in January 2015. The charges the regime in Kiev issued to him are those of embezzlement and involvement in misappropriations of finance committed by an organized group.

Reports said on July 21, however, that Interpol had suspended the search for Yanukovich, saying the criminal case for him might have a political underpinning.