Opposition Awaits Justice For Viktor Yanukovych, But Russia Has ‘Big Doubts’ Over Their Legitimacy

Ukraine’s acting government announced Monday that an arrest warrant has been issued for the country’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych. There have been conflicting reports as to the whereabouts of the former president, as well as whether or not he has either been arrested or currently being protected by Russia.

In a statement on his official Facebook page, acting interior minister Arsen Avakhov wrote that Yanukovych and several other officials were wanted on charges of “mass killing of civilians” in violence that engulfed Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev.

At least 82 people, most of which were protesters, were killed in clashes with members of the police and security forces, including protestors who were shot by snipers overlooking the protestors’ camp in Independence Square.

Calls were mounting in and out of Ukraine to put former president Viktor Yanukovych on trial after a tenure that saw power grabs, paying off political allies and violent crack downs on protesters.

“We must find Yanukovych and put him on trial,” said protester Leonid Shovtak, 50, who is a farmer from the western Ivano-Frankivsk region. Shovtak came to Independence Square in Kiev to take part in the protests. “All the criminals with him should be in prison.”

Arsen Avakhov said Yanukovych arrived in the pro-Russian Black Sea peninsular region of Crimea on Sunday and relinquished his official security detail before driving off to an unknown location.

Early Monday, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies denied having information about the whereabouts of Viktor Yanukovych, who reportedly was seen in the port city of Sevastopol, home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The Ukrainain news organization Liga.net reported that Sevastopol residents witnessed Yanukovych being escorted by Russian marines.

Ukraine’s border service said he tried to fly out of the country Saturday from Donetsk, however, he was turned away by their officials.

Opposition lawmaker Volodym Kurennoy said on his Facebook page that he had unconfirmed information that the president had been arrested in Crimea.

But neither of these claims could not be independently verified by PeoplesPunditDaily.com, and spokespersons for the regional and national Interior Ministry and Security Service said Monday they do not have information to corroborate either of them.

The Ukraine protests started at the end of November in response to President Yanukovych’s rejection of a landmark trade deal with the EU in favor of closer ties with Russia.

After signing an agreement with the opposition to end a bloody clash, Yanukovych was forced to flee the capital for eastern Ukraine. Hours after the release of Yulia Tymoshenko, the arch-rival of Viktor Yanukovych, protestors stormed the palace forcing the Russian-backed leader to flee Kiev.

Russia’s prime minister said the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian authorities is questionable.

Dmitry Medvedev said Monday, according to Russian news agencies, that the new authorities have come to power as a result of “armed mutiny,” so their legitimacy is causing “big doubts.”

He said that Russia doesn’t know with whom to communicate in Ukraine, and criticized the West for recognizing the new authorities following the ouster of Yanukovych.

Ukraine is facing serious financial challenges, and the recent developments have squashed previous arraignments to fulfill and meet financial deadlines.

On Monday, the acting finance minister said that the country needs $35 billion (25.5 billion euros) to finance the basic functions of government this year and the next. He said hope that Europe or the United States would help. Russia had pledge financial assistance when Viktor Yanukovych was still the legitimate president, but said now they will put those funds on hold.