The case of Ukrainian MP Kovaliov, who allegedly helped ex-Berkut officers to escape from the capital Kyiv, was closed in 2019

Kyiv, Ukraine (Svidomi) - The case of Oleksandr Kovaliov, head of the organisation "Nobody but Us", has been closed due to "lack of evidence of a criminal offence", Watchers reports.

"At present, the criminal proceedings are at the stage of pre-trial investigation," the Pechersk District Prosecutor's Office in Kyiv commented on the journalists' request.

On May 25, 2023, the Holosiivskyi Court of Kyiv sentenced Serhii Yakovenko to 10 years in prison. He helped former Berkut officers involved in the mass shootings of protesters on Instytutska Street during the Revolution of Dignity (Europrotests in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in 2014 — ed.).

At the time, Yakovenko was the deputy head of one of the divisions of the Department of the State Service on Combating Financial Crimes in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

The verdict text against Yakovenko states that the head of an NGO, Oleksandr Kovaliov, helped him.

The prosecutor's office accused Yakovenko of taking Berkut officers and disposing of the weapons they had used against protesters during the protests. Yakovenko called the transfer of Berkut officers "preventive measures".

It is known that Kovaliov involved Volodymyr Serdiuk, Oleksandr Bovan and Ihor Shchekunov from his organisation "Nobody but Us". In court, they confirmed that they had helped Kovaliov and Yakovenko but stated that they did not know they were involved in transferring Berkut officers.

In 2019, Kovaliov was elected as a member of the Ukrainian parliament. In May 2022, he joined the newly formed parliamentary group "Restoration of Ukraine", which included members of the former faction of the banned OPFL party and people from the Dovira group.

"Nobody but Us" is an organisation founded by Oleksandr Kovaliov that unites participants in the Soviet-era war in Afghanistan. On the organisation's website in 2016, Kovaliov confirmed that he had helped Berkut members leave Kyiv in 2014 and called it a "civic act of common sense".

"There was no collusion between me and the top leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At that time, in 2014, we were really helping everyone who came to us, on both sides. Including the police," the MP said in a statement.

He also denied any involvement in the disposal of the weapons.

It will be recalled that a court in Ukraine has overturned the acquittal of a former Berkut member accused of torturing participants in the Revolution of Dignity and sentenced him to six years in prison.