Four years after swearing in as president Viktor Yanukovych remains missing after being seen for the last time Sunday at Crimea pro-russian region. Close aids to president assure that he's still in Ukraine and that he'll not leave the country. Protected by Russians or by US? All latest updates.
Storified by euronews ·
Wed, Feb 26 2014 06:24:38
Yanukovych remains the legitimate president of Ukraine - russian official
The russian news agency
Itar-Tass reports that the speaker of the upper house of Russia’s parliament, Valentina Matviyenko said Viktor Yanukovych was
Ukraine’s legitimate president because no procedures had been carried out to remove him from office. “President Yanukovych is a legitimate president. If Ukrainian citizens and the Verkhovna Rada decide to remove him from office, they should comply with certain legal procedures,” the Federation Council Speaker said to Itar-Tass.
Yanukovych fled to Russia with his two sons - Ukrainian media's latest reportAccording police sources quoted by the news website
glavcom.ua the ousted president is currently in Russia after having fled Ukraine with his two sons. The same source says Yanukovych spent a night in Donetsk on his way to Crimea, crossing by sea overnight to Russia. An unconfirmed information, after several reports in the last days pointing Russia's alleged support to the runaway leader. Asked by journalists on Yanukovych's whereabouts the new Interior Minister said yesterday he had no new informations, seems unlikely at this moment that "police sources" have more information that the minister itself.
Russian military trucks in Yalta, wednesday. This video showing russian military trucks arriving to Yalta military base spread fears of a military action, while boosting new speculations on Yanukovych's whereabouts. This video filmed yesterday in Yalta shows two military trucks arriving to the russian base in the city. The camera is obviously not welcome by soldiers present at the facility. A normal transit of troops or an exceptional convoy?
Yanukovych has little chances to be tried in the Hague Court - Foreign Policy
The Ukrainian parliament has voted tuesday to ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try the former president and several of his associates for the killing of dozens of protesters during recent protests and street violence, but according
David Bosco on Foreign Policy website, "the ICC only has jurisdiction over a select set of crimes: war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The first and third categories are very likely excluded already, given the nature of Ukraine's crisis: War crimes can only occur when a state of armed conflict exists, and it's doubtful that the protests in Kiev crossed that threshold".
"Voice of Russia" says Ukraine will not be able to persecute the ousted president through ICC.
Ukrainian National Interpol Bureau has not received a request for an International search warrant
The Ukrainian news website Ukrinforma reports that Kyiv's Interpol bureau as not received any requests to issue an international arrest warrant on Yanukovych. "There were no requests considering international wanted persons referred to in the press, we have not received" - said an Interpol responsible. "To include someone on an international wanted list open criminal proceedings are needed as the availability obtained during investigation sufficient data for the announcement of the suspicion of a crime. Moreover, the court shall authorize the detention of continued detention custody, "- explained captivity.
A new video reportedly shows protesters beaten and severely injured (killed?) by police forces in Kyiv last week - 18 february.
Yanukovch whereabouts at odds on internet betting sites. Ukraine or Russia, on his yacht or in North Korea?
US warns banks to watch for ousted Ukraine leader moving looted funds
The US Treasury warned banks on Tuesday to be on the look-out for potentially suspicious transfers of financial assets by Ukraine's fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych or members of his inner circle. An advisory from the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said that US financial institutions "should be aware of the possible impact that public reports of high-level corruption by senior members of the Yanukovych administration and other illicit activity by members of the administration may have on patterns of financial activity". FinCEN said it was reminding banks they were required to apply "enhanced scrutiny" to accounts held by Yanukovych or his circle "and to monitor transactions that could potentially represent misappropriated or diverted state assets" (Reuters).
A new website called Yanukovich.info is tracking ousted president's "hidden assets", making an "open call to the representatives of Ukrainian civil society, leaders of European countries, the USA, the EU and their law-enforcement agencies and financial institutions" to investigate the former leadership's alleged "hidden funds".
