Kiev Court Approves Yanukovych Arrest Warrant Allowing His Extradition

The issued order allows Ukraine to demand the extradition of its former President Viktor Yanukovych from Russia. The move follows the recent inclusion of Yanukovych into the Interpol list.

KIEV, January 20 (Sputnik) – A Kiev court has approved an arrest warrant for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, allowing the former leader to be extradited back to the country, the press service of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said Tuesday.

“According to a petition by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office on January 19, 2015, an order was issued by the Pechersk District Court in the city of Kiev for an arrest warrant for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych,” the press service said in a statement.

“The selection of the said measure of arrest allows investigators from the Prosecutor General’s Office the possibility of demanding the extradition of Viktor Yanukovych from the territory of the Russian Federation,” the statement continues.

Yanukovych was earlier placed on Interpol’s wanted list.

In mid-January, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office announced it had not received any requests from competent Ukrainian authorities on the extradition of any Ukrainian political figures, including ex-President Yanukovych.

Yanukovych's decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union in late 2013 triggered a mass wave of protests across Ukraine, which culminated in a February 2014 coup. Following the change of power, Yanukovych fled the country for Russia. He is wanted in Ukraine on several charges, including alleged abuse of office and corruption activities.