Russia opens case against Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Avakov
The main investigation department of the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov.
The case concerns the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to not allow Russian citizens to go to polling stations on the Ukrainian mainland during the presidential elections in Russia on March 18, 2018. These actions were qualified under Article 141, Part 2, Clause C of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – impeding the exercise of electoral rights or the work of election commissions.
“Avakov, acting through a prearranged group of persons, instructed them…not to allow Russian citizens who were in the territory of Ukraine to participate in the presidential elections on March 18, 2018. As a result of the criminal actions of Avakov and other persons, the legal rights and interests of citizens, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, were rudely violated,” stated Sledkom.
Before the Russian presidential election, Foreign Minister Arsen Avakov said that Russian citizens, with the exception of diplomats, would not be allowed to enter the territory of Russian diplomatic institutions in Ukraine to participate in the Russian presidential elections. The Ministry of Internal Affairs referred to a February 21 statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which stated that voting at the presidential elections on the premises of diplomatic and consular missions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine would be possible only if the elections were not held in the occupied Crimea and Sevastopol.