Court ruling reveals ex-Ukrainian defense minister has political asylum in Belarus
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 July 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Court ruling reveals ex-Ukrainian defense minister has political asylum in Belarus, 18 July 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5bc05144a.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 18, 2018 13:18 GMT
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
Mykhaylo Yezhel (left)
KYIV – A Ukrainian court ruling has revealed that former Defense Minister Mykhaylo Yezhel, who is wanted in Ukraine for the alleged misuse of state finances, has received political asylum in Belarus.
According to a ruling by Kyiv's Solomyanka District that allowed Yezhel's trial in absentia and was made public on July 18, Yezhel and his family live in Minsk as political refugees.
Yezhel served as Ukraine's defense minister between March 2010 and February 2012.
In May 2013, he was appointed ambassador to Belarus.
In 2014, after Russia-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled by mass antigovernment protests, Ukrainian authorities charged Yezhel with misuse of 43 million hryvnyas ($1.6 million) from the state treasury.
In 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko dismissed Yezhel from the post of the ambassador, but Yezhel did not return to Ukraine.
With reporting by depo.ua and obozrevatel.ua
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
