Viktor Yanukovych

4th President of Ukraine
(Redirected from Viktor Yanukovich)

Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (Ukrainian: Віктор Федорович Янукович; born July 9, 1950, Yenakiieve, Stalin Region, Ukrainian SSR) is a Ukrainian politician who was the 4th President of Ukraine[5] from 2010 to 2014; found guilty of treason. On January 12, 2015, he was declared wanted by Interpol

Viktor Yanukovych
Віктор Янукович
Official portrait, 2010
4th President of Ukraine
In office
25 February 2010 – 22 February 2014[a]
Prime MinisterYulia Tymoshenko
Oleksandr Turchynov (Acting)
Mykola Azarov
Serhiy Arbuzov (Acting)
Preceded byViktor Yushchenko
Succeeded byOleksandr Turchynov (Acting)
9th and 12th Prime Minister of Ukraine
In office
4 August 2006 – 18 December 2007
PresidentViktor Yushchenko
DeputyMykola Azarov
Preceded byYuriy Yekhanurov
Succeeded byYulia Tymoshenko
In office
28 December 2004 – 5 January 2005
PresidentLeonid Kuchma
DeputyMykola Azarov
Preceded byMykola Azarov (Acting)
Succeeded byMykola Azarov (Acting)
In office
21 November 2002 – 7 December 2004
PresidentLeonid Kuchma
DeputyMykola Azarov
Preceded byAnatoliy Kinakh
Succeeded byMykola Azarov (Acting)
Governor of Donetsk Oblast
In office
14 May 1997 – 21 November 2002
Preceded bySerhii Polyakov
Succeeded byAnatoliy Blyzniuk
People's Deputy of Ukraine
5th convocation
In office
25 May 2006 – 12 September 2006
ConstituencyParty of Regions, No.1[2]
6th convocation
In office
23 November 2007 – 19 February 2010
ConstituencyParty of Regions, No.1[3]
Personal details
Born
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych

(1950-07-09) 9 July 1950 (age 74)[4]
Yenakiyevo, Stalino Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union[4]
NationalityUkrainian
Russia (2014)
Political partyCommunist Party of the Soviet Union (1980–1991)
Party of Regions (1997–2014)
Spouse(s)
(m. 1971; div. 2016)
ChildrenOleksandr (b. 1973)
Viktor (1981–2015)
Alma materDonetsk National Technical University
Ukrainian State University of Finance and International Trade
Signature
WebsiteViktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine (Archived)

Political career

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He was Prime Minister of Ukraine from November 2002 until December 2004 (he was forced to resign (leave office early) on 31 December 2004). He again was Prime Minister of Ukraine from 4 August 2006 until 18 December 2007. He is the former leader of the Party of Regions the biggest political party of Ukraine. The party was formerly part of the Ukrainian government.[5]

In November 2004, he won the presidential election. Viktor Yushchenko, his opponent, said the result was false. Large daily demonstrations supporting Viktor Yushchenko followed. They were named The Orange Revolution. Ukrainian Judges decided that there would be new elections in December 2004. Victor Yuschenko won those elections and became president of Ukraine.[6]

Yanukovych was supported by Vladimir Putin of Russia and by the former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma.

In February 2010, he won the presidential election; Yulia Tymoshenko, who lost the election with a 3.48% difference, said he won because of fraud.[6]

Yanukovych was a victim of poverty in his childhood and was twice put in prison for violent crimes in his youth.[6]

After mass protest in Ukraine during February 2014, Yanukovych was forced-out of office on 22 February 2014.[7] Oleksandr Turchynov became acting president.

Convictions

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On December 15, 1967, at the age of 17, Viktor Yanukovych was first sentenced to 3 years in prison for participating in a robbery.[8]

For the second time, Viktor Yanukovych was prosecuted for inflicting moderate bodily injuries under Art. 102 of the Criminal Code of the Ukrainian SSR and sentenced on June 8, 1970 to 2 years of imprisonment.

Criticism

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In connection with the events of Euromaidan, the phrase "Golden Toilet" became a symbol and synonym of the Yanukovych regime. In many informal speeches, the phrase is used as a euphemism for the rule of Viktor Fedorovich and his political entourage.

Oppression of freedom of speech in Ukraine

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During the two months of Yanukovych's presidency and the existence of the pro-presidential majority and the government in Ukraine, the pressure on the media and the curtailment of freedom of speech intensified. In particular, independent experts noted the politicization of the First National TV Channel.[9] The facts of censorship on commercial TV channels have become more frequent: journalists of "1 + 1" and "STB" have stated the facts of censorship by their management, and journalists of STB state the existence of facts of censorship since 2008.[10][11][12]

The enemy of the press

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Viktor Yanukovych, along with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, became the biggest enemies of the Ukrainian press in 2012-2013, according to an annual survey by the Institute of Mass Media and the Independent Media Trade Union.

Investigation

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As of May 15, 2014, 6 criminal cases of abuse of power were being investigated against Yanukovych. The cases are included in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations.[13]

  1. De facto fled the country in the night of 21–22 February, although claiming his legitimacy sometime after that. Officially deprived of the title on 18 June 2015.[1]

References

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  1. Resolution of Verkhovna Rada #757-VII. About self removal of President of Ukraine from execution of his constitutional powers and assignment of early elections of President of Ukraine (Про самоусунення Президента України від виконання конституційних повноважень та призначення позачергових виборів Президента України). Verkhovna Rada website. 22 February 2014
  2. "People's Deputy of Ukraine of the V convocation". Official portal (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  3. "People's Deputy of Ukraine of the VI convocation". Official portal (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "YANUKOVYCH, VIKTOR". Interpol. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Ukrainian parliament creates new coalition, Kyiv Post (March 2010)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Profile: Viktor Yanukovych, BBC News
  7. Ukraine as it happened: Yanukovych ousted, Tymoshenko freed | euronews
  8. ""Прємьєр-міністр" Янукович, или неофициальная биография для тех, кто подзабыл / Украинская правда". 2009-09-14. Archived from the original on 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  9. "Неволя слова". tyzhden.ua. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  10. "ЖУРНАЛІСТИ ТСН ЗАЯВЛЯЮТЬ ПРО ЦЕНЗУРУ". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  11. "ЖУРНАЛІСТ КАЖЕ, ЩО ГЕНДИРЕКТОР 1+1 ВИЗНАВ "ДЖИНСУ" І ЦЕНЗУРУ". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  12. "ЖУРНАЛІСТИ СТБ ТЕЖ ЗАЯВЛЯЮТЬ ПРО ЦЕНЗУРУ". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  13. "До справ проти Януковича додався ще й Голодомор". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2021-02-22.

Other websites

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