LATEST: Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko has told parliament he will offer his resignation in response to public outrage over the handling of an investigation into an acid attack that killed activist Kateryna Handzyuk.
Lutsenko offers resignation over Handzyuk probe:
By RFE/RL
KYIV -- Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko has told parliament he will offer his resignation amid public outrage over the handling of an investigation into an acid attack that killed anticorruption activist Kateryna Handzyuk.
"Today, I will offer my resignation to the president of Ukraine, and you in parliament have to look into this issue," Lutsenko told lawmakers on November 6, adding that he wants parliament to address the matter this week.
"Until yesterday, I was confident that the investigation had been conducted effectively, but I am frustrated by the speculation made about the death in this case," Lutsenko said. "Yesterday's wave of information has damaged the success of the investigation."
He said he was offering his resignation to avoid any concerns that he is "clinging to power.''
Lutsenko's remarks came a day after dozens of Ukrainian human rights groups and civic organizations called for the resignation of the country's top law enforcement officials over the case.
In an open letter published by the Kyiv-based Center for Human Rights Information on November 5, 75 Ukrainian organizations said they were "outraged" by the state of the investigation into a series of attacks against Ukraine's civic activists.
Handzyuk, who was known for her scathing criticism of police corruption, was doused with sulfuric acid outside of her home in the southern city of Kherson on July 31.
The 33-year-old activist died on November 4 in a Kyiv hospital where she was being treated for burns from the attack.
Five suspects including a law enforcement officer have been arrested for their alleged involvement, but it is unclear who was behind the attack. (w/Christopher Miller in Kyiv and UNIAN)