Ukraine’s Police to Investigate Possible Spying on Ex-US Ambassador to Ukraine Yovanovitch

16 January 2020 18:29

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch (R) during her visit to Hromadske on May 3, 2017.htv_prod_adminadske

The National Police of Ukraine has initiated criminal proceedings because of possible spying on former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

This comes after the recent publication of new evidence in the Trump impeachment case by the United States House of Representatives Intelligence Committee. Namely, text messages between businessman Lev Parnas and Republican Party’s Congress candidate Robert Hyde. According to reports, Hyde organized around-the-clock monitoring (possibly phone and computer too) of Marie Yovanovitch when she still headed the American mission in Kyiv. He also repeatedly referred to her using obscene language.

Ukrainian Police started criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Art. 182 of the Criminal Code – unlawful collection of confidential information about a person, violation of privacy. A separate case was filed under Part 2 of Art. 163 of the Criminal Code – violation of the secrecy of correspondence.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs explained that Ukraine's position is not to interfere in U.S. internal affairs, but the published records indicate a possible violation of Ukrainian laws and the Vienna Convention, which protects the rights of a diplomat in another country.

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs has asked the FBI to provide all the materials and information about persons who may be involved in this possible criminal offence," the message reads.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov also suggested that the U.S. join the investigation.

Background

Two businessmen from the Soviet Union, Igor Fruman and Lev Parnas, were detained in the United States on October 10 on charges of illegally amassing funds that were donated to America First Action, which supports Donald Trump. A pre-trial investigation into the case is currently underway.

Businessmen were expected to testify in Congress on Trump’s impeachment, but refused to come voluntarily. Later, Parnas changed his mind and declared his willingness to cooperate with congressmen through his lawyer Joseph Bondy.

Parnas and Fruman are called the link between Trump's lawyer Rudolph Giuliani and senior Ukrainian officials, and are thought to be involved in trying to pressure the Ukrainian side in Trump's interests.

According to BuzzFeed, the two businessmen were organizing a meeting of Trump's lawyer with President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as with former prosecutors general Viktor Shokin and Yuriy Lutsenko. Parnas was also present at a meeting of Zelenskyy's aide Andriy Yermak with Giuliani in early August 2019.

According to The New York TImes, Parnas warned Ukraine's newly elected authorities about the U.S. suspending military aid.

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Yovanovich said Parnas and Fruman were involved in an information campaign against her, which ended in her resignation from the diplomatic post. Businessmen are also suspected of possibly lobbying for Giuliani's interests in the gas industry. Fiona Hill, a former senior director of the U.S. National Security Council for Europe and Eurasia, spoke about Fruman and Parnas' efforts to influence Naftogaz's leadership during an investigation into the impeachment of Trump.

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