Criminal proceedings have been initiated in Ukraine over Russian elections
The Ukrainian chief prosecutor's office for the Crimea has initiated criminal proceedings against the elections to the Russian State Duma, the statement on the prosecutor’s office website reads.
The prosecutor’s office has initiated criminal proceedings under Article 110 p.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, regarding infringement of the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.
The sanction of the specified article provides punishment in the form of imprisonment from five to ten years.
The prosecutor’s office noted that a number of countries and international organizations, such as the PACE, the United States, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Denmark, Canada and Germany, have declared that they will not recognize the results of the elections in the Crimea.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially declared the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia on the 20th of February 2014. On the 7th of October, 2015 the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, signed the law confirming this. International organizations have recognized the occupation as the illegal annexation of Crimea and have condemned Russia's actions. Western countries have imposed various economic sanctions. Russia denies its occupation of the peninsula and instead refers to it as the "restoration of historical justice".