Avakov doubts Rada will strip him of MP’s immunity from prosecution

“At present, I believe it is very unlikely that the General
Prosecutor’s Office will bring such a legal argument to the Verkhovna
Rada. I think it is even less likely that the parliament will vote to
strip me of immunity,” Avakov said at a press conference in Kharkiv on
Saturday.

At the same time, he said the Prosecutor General’s Office had the right to make a relevant request.

“The prosecutor’s office has the right to try [to strip me of my
immunity], and I have the right to offer my arguments,” Avakov said.

He also expressed confidence that his lawyers would be able to close the criminal cases against him due to the lack of evidence.

It was reported earlier that Avakov had been charged on January 31,
2012 with “abuse of office leading to serious consequences” through
unlawfully expropriating 55 hectares of land near the village of
Pisochyn in Kharkiv region and changing its status. He was also declared
internationally wanted, and the Chervonozavodsky District Court in
Kharkiv granted an investigator’s request on sanctioning his arrest.

Reports of Avakov’s detention in Frosinone, Italy, were confirmed on
March 27. After that, the leadership of Batkivschyna sent letters to the
Interpol secretary-general and the Italian government, asking them to
take into consideration “the obvious political motives” behind Avakov’s
criminal prosecution, and to release him. A Rome court ruled to release
Avakov from custody on April 12.

Avakov led Kharkiv Regional State Administration from February 2005 until February 2010.

He ran for mayor of Kharkiv in the autumn of 2010. He took second
place, losing to the winner of the mayoral election, Hennadiy Kernes, by
a margin of 0.63%.

In Ukraine’s parliamentary elections on October 28, Avakov was
elected an MP on the list of the Batkivschyna Party (No. 24 on the
list). He said that he would return to Ukraine immediately after the
decision on his election as an MP by the CEC is published. On November
23, the CEC registered Avakov as an MP.

On December 10, a ruling of Chervonozavodsky Court of Kharkiv on the
cancellation of the restriction measure in the form of detention and a
warranty for Avakov’a arrest took legal effect, as Avakov was elected as
a people’s deputy.

Avakov returned to Ukraine on December 11.