Investigation into Ukrainian nationalist Yarosh case extended in Russia
MOSCOW. April 7 (Interfax) - Russian law enforcement agencies continue working on the criminal cases opened against Dmytro Yarosh, leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement Right Sector.
"The investigation has now been extended. There is a decree to this effect," a source familiar with the case materials told Interfax.
Several forensic evaluations will be conducted during the investigation, the source said. "The investigation expired in May, but the work could not be completed within such a short period of time," the source said.
The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Yarosh in March. He was later put on the international wanted persons list and arrested in absentia.
Alexander Fomin, who was appointed a defense lawyer for Yarosh, said his client's rights had been violated because he was not notified of the criminal case opened against him in accordance with the procedures envisioned by the law.
According to the investigators, Yarosh is charged with crimes enshrined by Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code and Part 2 of Article 280 of the Russian Criminal Code (public calls for terrorist and extremist activities using the mass media). The crimes carry a maximum punishment of seven and five years in prison, respectively.
The press service for the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office said there are no grounds for the detention of Yarosh, who is a citizen of Ukraine, to a foreign state.
The criminal case against Yarosh was opened based on a text posted on the Right Sector's account on the social networking site Vkontakte, which was entitled Addresses by Right Sector Leader Dmytro Yarosh to Doku Umarov, in which, according to the investigators, "Dmytro Yarosh called on the leader of the terrorist organization to intensify extremist and terrorist activities against Russia."
Another criminal case was later opened against Yarosh on the basis of Article 209 of the Russian Criminal Code (participation in an armed group (gang) for the purpose of attacking citizens). Yarosh was a member of the gang that fought on the side of the Chechen separatists in 1994-1995.
