“I consider this to be illegal and politically motivated,” said Rostislav Shurma, commenting on the decision to arrest him
Rostislav Shurma announced this on his Facebook page.
The former deputy head of the Presidential Administration claims that this procedural step is necessary for the prosecution to place him on an international wanted list and subsequently extradite him from Germany. Meanwhile, Rostislav Shurma does not consider himself guilty, calling the case a fabrication.
“I do not admit my guilt. I consider this case to be politically motivated and fabricated. It contains many sensational claims, but very little real evidence. The defence is explaining this openly and in detail in court: from the very procedure of notifying me of the suspicion to the content of the charges brought against me,” the post reads.
Rostyslav Shurma also emphasises that he is not evading the investigation, but is in Germany legally at an address known to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.
“When they needed to carry out a search in Germany and seize my property, they knew perfectly well where I live and made use of international legal mechanisms. But when it came to serving the notice of suspicion and summonses, they somehow decided that the law could be circumvented. This is what constitutes double standards,” the former official notes, adding that he is ready to cooperate with the investigation in a lawful manner.
“Instead, we see something else: public pressure, a political context, an attempt to substitute the law with media hype and to present procedural violations as some sort of ‘victory for justice’. “Unfortunately, as it stands, this situation is perceived not as a calm move towards establishing the truth, but as a further escalation of political and public pressure surrounding this case,” concludes Rostyslav Shurma.
It should be recalled that the former official previously stated that he plans to defend his position within the legal framework and insists on an impartial investigation in compliance with procedural guarantees and the principle of a fair trial.
