Security Service of Ukraine applied law on cleansing state authorities to 58 persons and starteed criminal proceedings against 39 persons for high treason

Kyiv, March 30, 2016. The process of cleansing the state authorities also known as “lustration” in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) still persists, thought it ought to be ended on December 31, 2015. Accordning to estinations 17.284 of the Security Service officials are subject to screening. Currently, the screening is only 41% complete. As of mid-March, the SBU has applied the law on cleansing state authorities to 58 persons, as informed by Oleksandr Tkachuk, chief of staff at the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, during a briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “The main reason for such a slow screening lies in the fact that not all the relevant authorities responded to inquiries about the Security Service officials who are subject to screening,” added Mr. Tkachuk. He noted that 2,293 persons resigned or were dismissed after the Revolution of Dignity, and 1,022 persons – since the screening start in November 2014. This took place beyond the lustration process.

Oleksandr Tkachuk stressed that in addition to lustration, the Security Service continues “to purge its ranks of corrupt officials and traitors who are discrediting the SBU.” According to him, since July 2015 the criminal proceedings have been begun against 39 officers for espionage, high treason etc.