Donetsk, Apr 25 – DAN. The Ukrainian People’s Tribunal for investigating war crimes of Petr Poroshenko’s regime against Ukrainian citizens has reviewed the fifth group of charges concerning the Donbass blockade. The Tribunal questioned 10 witnesses and victims during the session on April 25.
"Today, April 25, the UPT held hearing on the Donbass blockade-related crimes of the regime," the presiding judge Elena Shishkina told the Donetsk News Agency. "Judges have questioned experts, witnesses and victims, reviewed photo and video proof; 10 witnessed and victims were heard."
The next hearing on the crimes of genocide is scheduled for April 26.
Today's hearing covered crimes committed by the Poroshenko's regime during the blockade, which are subject to several articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code: Non-payment of Salaries, Wages, Pensions, Stipends, Benefits and Other Payments; Putting out of Commission Transport Vehicles or Communications; Blocking of Transportation Routes, and Capturing of a Transport Enterprise; Willful Endamagement of Communication Lines.
On April 17, the court wound up two-days hearing reviewing crimes related to war propaganda by the Poroshenko's regime. Earlier the tribunal heard cases on using armed forces against civilians, formation of illegal armed groups, tortures, looting and robbery.
The UPT charged eight people: Ukraine’s president Petr Poroshenko, the minister of internal affairs Arsen Avakov, secretary of the national security and defense council of Ukraine Aleksandr Turchynov, prime minister Vladimir Groisman, commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko, defense minister Stepan Poltorak, chairman of the Verkhovnaya Rada Andrey Parubiy, ex-prime-minster Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
On March 15, the Initiative Group of Ukrainian citizens living in Donetsk and Lugansk announced the establishment of the Ukrainian People’s Tribunal for Poroshenko’s regime war crimes. The cases will be tried and files reviewed in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation and international law.*ot