KIEV, November 21 – RAPSI, Viktor Avdeyenko. Former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko has requested the dismissal of prosecutors Dmitry Loban and Yevheny Zinchenko at a Kiev Appellate Court hearing after the European Court of Human Rights' decision came into effect regarding the unlawfulness of his arrest.

The Kiev Appeals Court is considering Lutsenko’s appeal against his arrest, pursuant to which he was sentenced to two years in prison for organizing the surveillance of the driver of Vladimir Satsyuk, the former first deputy head of the security service, during the investigation into former President Viktor Yushchenko's poisoning in 2004.

“Loban and Zinchenko have constantly told the court that my arrest was lawful,” the UNIAN news agency cited Lutsenko as saying. “However, the European court has declared that it was not. This is why they cannot represent Ukraine’s interests in court. Guided by the European court's ruling, I demand that these they be dismissed from the prosecution.”

In July, the European court found that Lutsenko's arrest was a violation of his rights and obligated Kiev to pay him 15,000 euro in compensation.

In October, Ukraine submitted an application to the court to transfer Lutsenko’s case for consideration to the Grand Chamber. However, the latter refused to consider the application. Thus, the European court's ruling in Lutsenko’s case came into effect on November 19.

Lutsenko has also been convicted to four years in prison for the large-scale embezzlement of state funds and to two years in prison for abuse of office during his time as minister.