The Svyatoshynsky District Court of Kyiv has again closed the case against the former commander of the Lviv special forces battalion "Berkut" Rostyslav Patselyak due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
A Babel correspondent reported this from the courtroom.
The court also denied the victims compensation for moral damages.
Rostyslav Patselyakʼs case
According to the investigation, on February 18, 2014, a “Berkut” unit from the Lviv region, together with other units, used physical force, special equipment, including Russian-made stun grenades, and pump-action shotguns equipped with lead buckshot cartridges, against protesters on the Maidan.
As a result, three people died and about 200 were injured, including gunshot wounds, of varying severity.
This case has been under consideration since 2016. In 2023, Patselyak was charged with new charges: abuse of power, terrorist act, causing grievous bodily harm, as well as premeditated murder and attempted murder of two or more protesters.
The case was closed in February 2024 due to the expiration of the time limit. The judge who closed the case was later removed from office, and the case itself was sent for a new hearing.
According to Watchers, Patselyak has held a Russian passport for over 20 years and is a Russian military reserve soldier. He flew to Russia after the start of Russian aggression in 2014.
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