The SBI obtained court permission to conduct a special investigation on suspicion of Mykola Azarov of high treason

The State Bureau of Investigation has obtained court permission to conduct a special pre-trial investigation against former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov.

The relevant decision was taken by one of the courts of Kyiv.

Mykola Azarov is suspected of high treason committed upon prior conspiracy by a group of persons.

It was established that when signing the Agreement between Ukraine and russia on the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine on April 21, 2010, the former prime minister acted in the interests of Russia to the detriment of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability, defenсe capability, state and economic security of Ukraine.

The terms and conditions of this agreement were imposed in Moscow by russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the eve of its signing on April 21, 2010.

Fully understanding the consequences of signing this Agreement for Ukraine, the former Prime Minister set up conditions for prolonging the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine for 25 years. It contributed to the increase (instead of withdrawal) of military equipment and personnel of the aggressor state in Ukraine, which were used during the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in 2014.

Contrary to Part 3 of Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine "On International Treaties of Ukraine", the Agreement draft before the signing was not even legally examined.

The SBI investigators received original documents that testify to the purposeful actions of senior officials of Ukraine to the detriment of our state's sovereignty and territorial integrity on the instructions of the top leadership of russian federation.

These acts were carried out by the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov and then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych upon prior conspiracy by a group of persons. Both are put on the wanted list within the framework of this criminal proceeding.

Procedural guidance is provided by the Prosecutor General’s Office.