Yuriy Lutsenko

Yuriy Vitaliyovych Lutsenko ( uk, Юрій Віталійович Луценко; born 14 December 1964) is a Ukrainian politician whose most recent post was Prosecutor General of Ukraine from 12 May 2016Lutsenko appointed prosecutor general in Ukraine
UNIAN (12 May 2016) until 29 August 2019.The new Attorney General was a former NAPC member
Ukrayinska Pravda (29 August 2019)

Lutsenko is a former Minister of Internal Affairs. He occupied this post in the two cabinets of Yulia Tymoshenko and in the cabinets of Yuriy Yekhanurov and Viktor Yanukovych. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is the Ukrainian police authority, and Lutsenko became the first civilian minister in February 2005. Lutsenko is also a former leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, and a former leader of its faction in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament).Poroshenko wants coalition to be formed before parliamentary elections
Interfax-Ukraine (27 August 2014
Solidarity Party to be renamed Bloc of Petro Poroshenko – congress
Interfax-Ukraine (27 August 2014)

In 2010, Lutsenko was charged with abuse of office and forgery by Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka,Ukraine prosecutors charge ally of opposition leader Tymoshenko
Kyiv Post (13 December 2010) in what was widely viewed as political retaliation for having investigated one of Yanukovych's cabinet members four years earlier. In 2012, he was sentenced to four years in prison, but was pardoned by Yanukovych in 2013.Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych pardons Yulia Tymoshenko allies
BBC News (8 April 2013
Ukrainian leader Yanukovych pardons Tymoshenko ally
BBC News (7 April 2013
Ukrainian president pardons Lutsenko and Filipchuk – decree
Interfax-Ukraine (7 April 2013) In 2016, he became Ukraine's chief prosecutor under President Petro Poroshenko, during which time he was criticized for undermining Ukraine's newly established National Anti-Corruption Bureau. While in office, Lutsenko a became central figure in the Trump–Ukraine scandal, in which he worked with U.S. President Donald Trump to try to find incriminating information on Trump's then-presumed opponent in the 2020 United States presidential election, Joe Biden. He was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019; Trump later tried unsuccessfully to pressure Zelenskyy to reinstate him.

Early life

Lutsenko was born in Rivne. His father was Vitaliy Ivanovych Lutsenko (15 March 1937 – 4 June 1999), who was elected people's deputy of Ukraine in 1994 and 1998, and secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Ukraine. Lutsenko's mother is Vira Mikhailivna (born 1936), a veterinarian.

Lutsenko earned his degree in engineering in 1989 from Lviv Polytechnical Institute.

Political career

Lutsenko first gained public fame as one of the leaders of the Ukraine without Kuchma campaign, which followed the Cassette Scandal of 2000. He was also one of the "faces of the Orange Revolution". From 1991, Lutsenko was a long-term member of the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU); prior to his appointment to the executive branch, he was people's deputy in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) beginning in February 2002. Lutsenko belonged to the pro-European faction akin to social democratic parties in the rest of Europe, rather than a post-Soviet oldfashioned socialism.

As a minister, Lutsenko refused to run in the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election on his party list. However, he has run for both the Kyiv City Council and Rivne Oblast Council simultaneously in the lists of the Socialist Party – "to make the point", as he explained. Having won these seats, Lutsenko resigned from both in favor of his Minister's position as the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits occupying positions in the legislative and executive branches of the government at the same time.

Resignation from the Socialist Party

After his appointment as a minister, Lutsenko suspended his membership of the SPU in the summer of 2006 as a result of the party leader Oleksandr Moroz's entering into a coalition with the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Party of Regions of former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. When the coalition of the Party of Regions, Communists, and defected Socialists began to take shape, Lutsenko stated flatly that he would refuse to continue serving as the minister in a future government formed by these parties. However, after President Viktor Yushchenko agreed to allow the forming of the cabinet in exchange for several political concessions including the ability to pick the Minister of Interior, Lutsenko stated that the president asked him personally to remain as the minister, and he would do so.

Lutsenko was formally dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada on 1 December 2006. The same month, Lutsenko created the Civil Movement "People's Self-Defense".

On 18 December 2007, Lutsenko again became minister of Internal Affairs, when Yulia Tymoshenko was again elected Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Incident at Frankfurt Airport

In early May 2009, Lutsenko became entangled in a scandal concerning his behaviour during a visit to Germany. According to the German newspaper Bild, Oleksandr Lutsenko, his son, was detained at Frankfurt Airport by the German police in a state of acute alcohol intoxication. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry dismissed these allegations. According to the information of the Ministry, on 4 May 2009, the Interior Ministry's delegation was detained at the Frankfurt airport during document checks, and missed the flight. The flight crew refused to take them on board. The delegation decided to catch the next flight. "There were no handcuffs, no drunken conflict," the department said. On 12 May 2009, Yuriy Lutsenko sent in his resignation from the post of interior minister. In his letter of resignation, the minister described the incident that happened in Frankfurt, and stressed that the German police had officially apologized to the Ukrainian delegation for this incident; but that despite this, German mass media disseminated false publications, which were later re-published by Ukrainian media. He said none of these publications mentioned the apologies of the German police. Lutsenko was confident that a dirty campaign had been waged against him in Ukraine. The aim of the campaign, according to him, was to destabilize the work of the Interior Ministry.Lutsenko sent in his resignation from post of Interior Minister
UNIAN (12 May 2009) On 15 May 2009, the Verkhovna Rada passed a resolution, stipulating to address the government with a request to suspend Yuriy Lutsenko from the post of the Interior Minister of Ukraine until the "drunken incident" is investigated.

From 12 May 2009 until 14 May 2009 and again on 15 May 2009, members of the Party of Regions, then part of the opposition, blocked the Verkhovna Rada's rostrum and presidium, demanding the resignation of Lutsenko. They placed (in the session hall) posters with inscriptions: "A drunkard minister is a shame for Ukraine", "A drunk policeman is a criminal" and "Drunk minister – a politician?".

Later, on 12 May 2009, Lutsenko claimed that he would sue Bild. According to Lutsenko, the publication does not contain "any true things, any references to documents or real officials".

President Viktor Yushchenko considered his appeal for resignation "a logical step, which should be made ... There was an incident which damaged the reputation of the state, the government and the minister himself. It must be settled with due regard for the interests of the nation and the country".Party of Regions blocks session
UNIAN (13 May 2009) Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko believed that the information about the incident is doubtful. "I may state that the son of the Interior Minister is a child ill with cancer; he underwent a very serious operation. This child is taking special medicines that are incompatible with alcohol drinking. Besides, no tests were made. I'm confident that this child had nothing in common at all with alcohol. And this untruth, which was publicized many times, casts doubt upon the whole information". The Party of Regions faction insisted on accepting the resignation of Lutsenko without getting any proof of the incident at Frankfurt airport. The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc faction refused to support the resignation of the interior minister without any proof concerning the incident. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked Germany for official information about the incident, but got no response.

On 15 May 2009, the Verkhovna Rada passed a resolution asking the government to hold a seven-day official investigation into the events at Frankfurt Airport (first deputy nteriorminister Mykhailo Kliuyev served as acting Minister that period). After that Lutsenko resumed at his post.

On 10 June 2011, Bild retracted the report about the events at Frankfurt Airport after being ordered so by the Landgericht Berlin.

Dismissal as minister

Lutsenko was dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada on 28 January 2010. The same day he was appointed by the Cabinet as first deputy interior minister and acting interior minister.Lutsenko says he's calm about his dismissal
Kyiv Post (28 January 2010) The Kyiv District Administrative Court suspended the government's decision until the end of an investigation into his appointment, but the Cabinet claimed it had not received any court ruling on the matter. After the fall of the second Tymoshenko Government, Lutsenko eventually lost his post as Minister of Internal Affairs on 11 March 2010.

In 2010, Lutsenko became the leader of the party People's Self-Defense Political Party.

Criminal cases and imprisonment

On 13 December 2010, Lutsenko was charged with abuse of office and forgery by Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka. On 5 November, it was already announced that Lutsenko faced criminal charges for an alleged financial crime involving a less than $5,000 overpayment to his driver. According to Lutsenko the criminal case against him is political persecution. Pshonka has denied this. Lutsenko was also charged with having signed an order whilst on holiday and not having cancelled the traditional "National Militia Day" despite a general instruction from the then Prime Minister to make budgetary savings where possible.PACE rapporteur says Lutsenko is 'victim of a political vendetta'
Kyiv Post (27 February 2012) Lutsenko has been jailed since 26 December 2010 in Kyiv's Lukyanivka Prison.Appeal court upholds extension of Lutsenko's arrest
Kyiv Post (25 February 2011)Lutsenko:Tymoshenko ties get you arrested
Kyiv Post (25 February 2010) Lutsenko was arrested near his home on 26 December; on 27 December a court ordered his arrest on the grounds that he had been dodging questioning in violation of his written pledge not to leave Kyiv. Three criminal cases opened against him where merged into one on 27 January 2011.All cases against former minister Lutsenko merged
Kyiv Post (27 January 2010) Lutsenko went on a hunger strike from 22 April till 24 May 2011 in protest against his "preventive punishment".

Lutsenko filed a complaint in a U.S. court on 14 December 2011 against his (Ukrainian) prosecutors, made possible by the Alien Tort Statute, for "illegal arrest and arbitrarily prolonged detention".

On 27 February 2012, after a pre-trial detention of 14 months, Lutsenko was sentenced to fours year in jail (with confiscation of his property) for embezzlement and abuse of office.Ukraine's Lutsenko jailed for 4 years (updated)
Kyiv Post (27 February 2012)Ukrainian Ex-minister Jailed for Abuse of Office
RIA Novosti (27 February 2012) The total damages caused by Lutsenko to Ukraine's budget had been estimated at $125,000. Lutsenko immediately after his sentence stated he will appeal against sentence.Lutsenko pledges to prove his innocence
Kyiv Post (27 February 2012) The European Commission stated the day of his sentence "signals the continuation of trials in Ukraine which do not respect international standards as regards fair, transparent and independent legal process";EU statement:‘We are disappointed’ with Lutsenko verdict
Kyiv Post (27 February 2012) Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Victoria Nuland stated the cases raised "serious concerns about the government of Ukraine's commitment to democracy and the rule of law";Lutsenko found guilty of embezzlement
Kyiv Post (28 February 2012) other Council of Europe member have criticised the sentence in similar wording.Canada ‘troubled’ by Lutsenko conviction
Kyiv Post (28 February 2012) In a statement issued by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) right after the verdict of 27 February 2012 Lutsenko was named "the victim of a political vendetta"; the next day the President of PACE Jean-Claude Mignon called for his release.PACE President calls for the release of Yuriy Lutsenko
Kyiv Post (28 February 2012) Human rights organizations have urged the high courts in Ukraine to overturn the verdict against Lutsenko.Human rights organizations urging Ukraine's senior courts to overturn Lutsenko verdict
Kyiv Post (28 February 2012) On 29 February 2012, the European People's Party demanded "immediate release of Yulia Tymoshenko, Yuriy Lutsenko and other political prisoners; it also insisted the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union should not be signed and ratified until these demands were met. An appeal to the sentence was filed 7 March 2012.Lawyer appeals Lutsenko's verdict at Appeals Court
Kyiv Post (7 March 2012) Since the EU has shelved the European Union Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine because of the imprisonment of him and Tymoshenko.Ukraine's jailed Tymoshenko calls off hunger strike
Kyiv Post (16 November 2012)EU leaders:Ratification of Association Agreement and DCFTA depends on settlement of Tymoshenko-Lutsenko issue
Kyiv Post (20 July 2012)

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) considered a complaint lodged by Lutsenko on 17 April 2012, in which Lutsenko claimed his arrest and the decision on his detention were arbitrary and unlawful. On 3 July 2012, the ECHR stated that the arrest of Lutsenko violated his human rights and the court ordered the government of Ukraine to pay €15,000 to Lutsenko as compensation for moral damages.The European Court ruling on Lutsenko case takes effect
Kyiv Post (20 November 2012)

On 17 August 2012, Lutsenko was sentenced to two years in prison for the extension of an investigative case concerning Valentyn Davydenko, the driver of former Security Service of Ukraine First Deputy Chief Volodymyr Satsiuk, as part of an investigation into the poisoning of then presidential candidate Viktor Yuschenko. The European Union, the United States Department of State, Canada and several human rights organizations protested the sentence and called into question the independence of the legal process that had led to it. He served his time in a prison in the city of Mena. During his imprisonment Lutsenko was moved several times to hospital to receive medical treatment.

Lutsenko lost his appeal on 3 April 2013; this High Court ruling could be challenged in any other Ukrainian court.Ukrainian court keeps Tymoshenko ally in jail
Euronews (3 April 2013)

The judges of the Higher Specialized Court on Civil and Criminal Cases will on 10 April 2013 announce a ruling on the appeal against the second conviction of Lutsenko regarding the poisoning of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko; this will not influence the term of Lutsenko's imprisonment.

Pardoning

After already having suggested it earlier, President Viktor Yanukovych on 5 April 2013 proposed the presidential commission on pardons urgently to consider the request by Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Valeriya Lutkovska to pardon Lutsenko. The requests to pardon Lutsenko was made by Ukrainian parliamentary Lutkovska, former President of the European Parliament Pat Cox and former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. Lutkovska asked to pardon Lutsenko "due to the European standards of human rights, which include providing effective medical care to persons detained in prisons". On 7 April 2013, a decree by Yanukovych pardoned Lutsenko (among others) for health reasons and "to decriminalize and humanize Ukrainian legislation"Yanukovych human rights policies are oriented towards European standards – pardons commission
Interfax-Ukraine (8 April 2013) and the same day he was released from prison. The decree also exempted from further punishment Lutsenko's fellow Minister in the second Tymoshenko Government Heorhiy Filipchuk. Lutsenko stated the day after his release he will "continue to remain in politics".

Lutsenko and his family had repeatedly stated that they would not seek a pardon, because they believe the charges where groundless and political punishment.Lutsenko’s wife pleasantly shocked at ombudsperson’s request to pardon ex-minister
Interfax-Ukraine (6 April 2013) Nevertheless, Lutsenko's wife Iryna Lutsenko