Ukraine Issues Arrest Warrant for Ousted President Viktor Yanukovych

Acting Government to Open Criminal Case Into ‘Mass Murder’ of Civilians.

Ukraine’s acting government on Monday issued an arrest warrant for ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and said it was opening a criminal case into the “mass murder” of civilians stemming from violent clashes in the capital last week that left dozens dead.

The Interior Ministry’s acting head, Arsen Avakov, wrote on his Facebook FB +0.15% Facebook Inc. Cl A U.S.: Nasdaq $70.78 +2.19 +3.19% Feb 24, 2014 6:09 pm Volume (Delayed 15m) : 76.32M AFTER HOURS $70.88 +0.10+0.15% Feb. 24, 2014 6:05 pm Volume (Delayed 15m): 429,199 P/E Ratio 116.03 Market Cap $174.89 Billion Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee $1,242,230 72706810a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p 02/24/14 Facebook WhatsApp Messaging Se… 02/24/14 Facebook’s Zuckerberg: WhatsAp… 02/24/14 I Thought Facebook’s WhatsApp … More quote details and news » page that Mr. Yanukovych is believed to be in Crimea, a southern region dominated by ethnic Russians that serves as home to Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet. A ministry official who declined to be named verified the post.

“As of this morning, a criminal case has been opened based on the mass murder of civilians. Yanukovych and some other officials have been put on the wanted persons list,” Mr. Avakov wrote.

He said Mr. Yanukovych is believed to have left his native Donetsk late Saturday and arrived in Crimea on Sunday, where he stayed in a privately run sanitarium, avoiding state-run facilities and his presidential dacha.

Upon learning that the acting parliament had ousted him from the presidency, Mr. Yanukovych hastily left the sanitarium and headed to a regional airport but never arrived there, Mr. Avakov said.

Instead, he decided to stay at a private home with his security detail. He then asked his guards whether they wanted to leave or stay with him, and some left with their weapons. Mr. Yanukovych and the remaining guards then piled into three cars and drove away, switching off all forms of communication. His current whereabouts is unknown, Mr. Avakov said.

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