Donetsk, May 22 - DAN. A key witness is expected to testify at the Tuesday session of the Ukrainian People’s Tribunal for investigating the Poroshenko regime’s war crimes against Ukrainian citizens, a well-informed source told the Donetsk News Agency.
“Well-known respectable people such as director of the Gusak Emergency Surgey Institute Emil Fistal and DPR ombudswoman Darya Morozova have already spoken at UPT hearings, but this witness is of an entirely different level,” the source said.
The Tribunal is now in session. Presiding judge Elena Shishkina, judges Lyubov Batyashova and Tatyana Kravchenko, prosecutor Sergey Kozhemyakin, lawyer for the defence Elena Gridina and a panel of jurors take in the UPT work.
After a key witness's testomony, the parties are expected to continue to present their arguments.
The UPT brought charges against eight people including Ukrainian president Petr Poroshenko, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, National Security and Defence Council Secretary Alexander Turchinov, Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman, Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko, Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak, parliament speaker Andrey Parubiy and former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
The UPT prosecutor demanded life imprisonment for Poroshenko and his associates on May 21. He also filed a petition to institute criminal proceedings against the commanders of the Urkainian army units that had used Grad and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems in Donbass. These suspects include United Forces Operation commander Sergey Naev and commanders of the 24th, 30th, 51st and 72nd separate motorised infantry brigades and the North and West task forces.
Earlier, the Tribunal held hearings over genocide, Donbass blockade, war propaganda, tortues, robberies and lootings, establishment of illegal paramilitary formations and use of armed forces against civilians.
The UPT set up by Ukrainian activists living in Donetsk and Lugansk is reviewing cases in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation and norms of international law.*jk