Arsen Avakov: The announcement of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation that the international arrest warrants have been issued for Ukrainian citizens is politically motivated persecution
On October 11, 2017, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine unveiled the official position of the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding information in the Russian media that the international arrest warrants have been issued for some Ukrainian citizens. Among them - People's Deputy of Ukraine Vladimir Parasyuk, who is accused of attacking the RF Consulate General in Lvov in March 2016 and desecration of the Russian flag.
"First, according to the information of the INTERPOL General Secretariat as of October 11, 2017, Mr. V.Z. Parasyuk and other citizens of Ukraine who were mentioned in these publications are not listed in the INTERPOL international wanted persons list. Secondly, I once again draw your attention to the fact that the International Criminal Police Organization - INTERPOL, by its Charter does not consider cases or activities of a military, religious, political or racial nature. It is clear that the alleged crimes that the citizens of Ukraine including the People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada are charged with are just political acts. These decisions of the RF Investigative Committee are politically motivated provocations as well as similar decisions regarding Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Refat Chubarov, Dmitry Yarosh and other citizens of our country", - Arsen Avakov said.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine through the INTERPOL Ukrainian Bureau has sent an appeal to the INTERPOL General Secretariat stating that it considered unacceptable the attempts of the Russian Federation to use the INTERPOL mechanisms for political persecution of Ukrainian citizens.
"I am sure that INTERPOL will take into account Ukraine's position on this issue and, as always, will not allow the use of the INTERPOL mechanisms and channels for politically motivated persecution by the Russian Federation", - stated the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Department of communication of MoIA
