Prosecutor's office identifies over a thousand participants in occupation of Crimea

14.08.2019 11:53

Ukrinform

The Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea headquartered in Kyiv has already identified more than a thousand people suspected of participating in the "self-defense" units in Crimea.

This was announced by Deputy Prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Ihor Ponochovny, Crimea.Realities reports.

He also added that a criminal case had been opened against members of “self-defense” but there were “not so many” detentions as the suspects did not travel across the territory of mainland Ukraine.

“These are isolated cases when persons, who actively participated in the occupation of the peninsula, travel to the territory of mainland Ukraine. Here, the law enforcement agencies of the autonomous republic are already waiting for them,” Ponochovny said.

Since the beginning of 2019, the National Police of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol have put on wanted list 28 members of Crimean “self-defense” units.

As a reminder, the "Self-Defense" of Crimea was formed ahead of the annexation of the peninsula and helped Russian invaders. On June 11, 2014, the Kremlin-controlled parliament of the peninsula legitimized the organization by enacting an appropriate law.

Human rights activists have repeatedly stated that the armed group was involved in a number of crimes, most of which have not yet been disclosed in Crimea.