Former city councillor detained in Odesa for calling on Russia to "come and protect Russian speakers"

Former Odesa City Council member Valentyn Chernov has been detained by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies on suspicion of treason and encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.

Source: website of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine; Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation

Details: The investigators established that in late February 2014, the councillor, acting in collusion with Russian politicians, organised a mass pro-Russian event in Odesa in which participants called on Russia's leadership to send troops into Ukraine, supposedly to "protect the rights of Russian-speaking citizens".

The Office of the Prosecutor General did not disclose the suspect's name, but Ukrainska Pravda has identified him as Valentyn Chernov.

Law enforcement officials said the politician had been in regular contact with Russian representatives, had passed on information about the socio-political situation in the region, and had coordinated the activities of Russian-controlled organisations operating under the guise of "protecting the interests of Russian-speaking citizens".

He had also publicly supported the illegal referendum on Crimea's accession to Russia and called for a similar "referendum" to be held in Odesa.

While in Russia, Chernov reportedly took part in public events during which he endorsed Russian actions aimed at violating Ukraine's sovereignty.

The State Bureau of Investigation established that Chernov also headed the Southern District of the Coordinating Council of Organisations of Russian Compatriots (CCORC). This organisation was directly involved in the provocations that led to the tragic events in Odesa in May 2014, when 42 pro-Russian activists died in a fire following clashes between protesters and hundreds of people were injured.

It was members of this "coordinating council" who organised the so-called anti-Maidan protest in a central square, Kulykove Pole, during which Russian leader Vladimir Putin was urged to send Russian troops into Ukraine, supposedly to "protect the rights of Russian-speaking citizens".

Quote from the State Bureau of Investigation: "The evidence shows that he acted to the detriment of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability, coordinating his actions with representatives of Russian authorities."

More details: The suspect was detained and remanded in custody on 29 October.

Chernov was served with a notice of suspicion with respect to encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine (Art. 110.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), treason (Art. 111.1), and colluding with a group of persons to carry out those acts (Art. 28.2).

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