A few criminal cases have been opened upon the facts of hooliganism, violent actions against the law enforcement officials and interference with the functioning of the judiciary.

During the delivery of a verdict yesterday to the individuals indicted with a commitment of a terrorist act, a group of activists, headed by some MP’s under the flags of the all-Ukrainian organization “Svoboda”, picketed the premises of the Kievo-Sviatoshinskiy District Court.

One part of the group blocked the exits from the inner yard of the Court and the streets adjacent to the building, trying not to let a vehicle of the Court out.

When the vehicle of the police escorting the detainees was leaving the territory of the Court, those participating in the blocking of the Court’s building started behaving more and more aggressively. The radical activists were throwing stones and bottles filled with water into the building of the Court and into the Court’s vehicle and tried to block the vehicle’s movement. Ignoring the requests of the law enforcement officials to stop violating public order, a number of activists continued to prevent the vehicle from moving out and tried to provoke a conflict with the police officers.

In order to provide for the safe passage of the vehicle of the Court, the members of the Berkut riot police unit pressed the activists aside from the vehicle, making a corridor for its passage. The skirmishing ensued. At that time some yet unidentified persons, threw the stones into the policemen, broke the glass of the vehicle transporting the detainees. The façade of the building of the Court was damaged as a result. Besides that, an unknown liquid was thrown into the face of the judge, who was reading out the sentence.

About two dozen Berkut officers sustained various injuries as a result of those actions. One of them was hospitalized with one of his legs broken.

Criminal investigations have been initiated in accordance with part 3 article 296 (Hooliganism) of the Criminal Code, part 2 article 345 (Threat or Violence against a Law Enforcement Official) and part 1 article 376 (Obstruction of the Functioning of the Judiciary). The abovementioned wrongdoings are punishable under the law with the terms of imprisonment of up to 5 years.

The text above is an unofficial translation of the press release of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.