Mikhail Gorbachev to be tried for the collapse of USSR

Photo: AP photo

Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and the last president of the USSR, said that the proposition to bring him to trial for the collapse of the Soviet Union was "utter nonsense." The appeals to try Gorbachev for the break-up of the Soviet empire came from several deputies of the State Duma. "These calls reflect only the desire of some deputies to their personal PR," said Gorbachev.

"They like to know that they are being talked-about. But the appeal is completely ill-conceived from the standpoint of historical facts. If this is envy, then there is nothing to envy. Deputies have many times raised the issue of raising the pension, at least to the level of deputies, but the issue was not even discussed. I am obviously in someone else's way, which can be evidenced by the fact that during the last 20 days several reports of my death have appeared. These people have no conscience. I certainly do not react to such statements, so I do my business and my health," Interfax quoted Gorbachev as saying.

Mikhail Gorbachev advised "one should seriously analyze who at the Supreme Council of Russia voted for the adoption of Belovezha Accords about the collapse of the USSR."

The idea to bring Gorbachev to trial for the collapse of the USSR came from deputies of United Russia party, Evgeny Fyodorov and Anton Romanov, communists Ivan Nikitchuk and Oleg Denisenko and member of the Liberal Democratic Party, Mikhail Degtyarev. They directed a deputy's request to Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, to conduct investigation into the events that occurred during the collapse of the USSR.

They noted that Soviet citizens in a referendum voted to preserve the unity of the state, but top Soviet leaders committed illegal acts that caused the collapse of the country.

The MPs stressed that on November 4, 1991, the department of supervision of the execution of laws of the USSR initiated a case against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. However, the decision to initiate the case was lifted the next day.

According to the deputies, Gorbachev currently has no immunity against prosecution. To crown it all, they believe that such crimes as the collapse of the state have no statute of limitations.

Liberal Democrat Michael Degtyarev hopes that the investigation may give the first-ever legal assessment of the events that happened more than 20 years ago.

Evgeny Fyodorov, a member of the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes, told Pravda.Ru, on what grounds the idea to prosecute the actions of Mikhail Gorbachev appeared.

"It appeared in the light of the recent events in Ukraine - they are the continuation of the events of 1991. An investigation like this would have led to a legal confirmation of the fact of foreign intervention in 1991. It would legally validate the fact that the method of this intervention was a coup organized by Gorbachev.

"The materials that we sent to the investigating authorities provide the facts of this nature. To put it in a nutshell, Mikhail Gorbachev created an illegal authority (state council) for the elimination of the USSR, which not only destroyed the USSR, but also abolished the Soviet government, expelled several republics from the Soviet Union and so on.

"Gorbachev was deliberately destroying the bodies of state protection. For example, the KGB was abolished by Gorbachev in advance not to interfere with the elimination of the USSR. It was a thought-out policy. If we carry out the necessary investigation, it would expose three of today's consequences of this issue.

"First, we will evaluate the methods and technology of the fifth column that carries a direct threat to Russian statehood - the technology and methods have not changed in 23 years. The society will become aware of how these methods work.

"Secondly, we will give an incentive to national liberation movements throughout the former Soviet Union, particularly in Ukraine, where it is these slogans that people follow in Kharkov, Lugansk, Donbass, etc.

"This kind of investigative actions on the territory of Russia, the conclusions of the investigation, will strengthen the national liberation movement in Ukraine.

"Third, we will be able to assess the grounds of today's statehood of all former Soviet republics, including Russia, in terms of sovereignty. If the investigation confirms that this was a coup, then it would mean that the foundations of statehood were not completely sovereign, that they would require special procedures to strengthen sovereignty. This will automatically improving the quality of living standards, including for the citizens of the Russian Federation.

"There were anti-state crimes were committed, and no one doubts that even in preliminary stages. Accordingly, they need to be investigated. I'm sorry, but if someone steals a sack of potatoes, they investigate it, and here the consequences are much more serious," said Evgeny Fyodorov said.