Investigators of the SSU Main Investigation Directorate, under the supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office, have completed the investigation in relation to the heads of the Russian occupation administration in the Ukrainian Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The so-called Head of the Republic of Crimea, Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, former so-called Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea and five other high-ranking officials of the temporarily occupied peninsula are suspected of committing crimes under the Articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including:

• 109 (actions aimed at forceful change or overthrow of constitutional order or take-over of government);
• 110 (trespass against territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine);
• 111 (treason);
• 255 (establishment of a criminal organization).

The pre-trial investigation established that in February-March 2014 the representatives of the Russian occupation administration took active part in actions aimed at forceful overthrowing of the constitutional order and changing the borders of Ukraine.

In addition, these individuals assisted the representatives of the aggressor state in subversive activities against Ukraine to the detriment of its sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability. In particular, they participated in the establishment of occupation authorities, directly headed and managed them.

As a result of a special pre-trial investigation, the indictment against 8 accused officials was sent to court.

Punishment for these particularly serious crimes is imprisonment for up to 15 years.

Under Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until proven guilty and until the relevant court’s verdict.