Aleksandr Petrovich Kharitonov | |
|---|---|
| People's Governor of the Luhansk People's Republic | |
| Acting 5 March 2014 – 13 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Office Established |
| Succeeded by | Gennadiy Tsypkalov(Acting) |
| Leader of Luganskaya Gvardiya | |
| In office 2014–2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1971-07-06)6 July 1971 (age 54)[1] |
| Political party | Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Luhansk People's Republic |
Aleksandr Petrovich Kharitonov (Russian:Александр Харитонов) is a Ukrainian politician who appeared in media during thepro-Russian unrest in March 2014. He is the first leader of Russianseparatists forces in Luhansk region.
Since 2005 he was a member of theProgressive Socialist Party of Ukraine and in 2007 unsuccessfully ran for being elected as aPeople's Deputy of Ukraine from the party.[1] He also actively participated in the PSPU anti-NATO protests for which in 2008 he was awarded a party badge "Fighter of anti-NATO resistance".[1] In the late 2013 Kharitonov actively participated inAnti-Maidan protests, later organized and led "Luganskaya Gvardiya" (LuhanskGvardiya).[1]
According toKorrespondent, on 5 March 2014 Kharitonov was elected at a multi-thousand gathering as a "Narodny Gubernator" (People's Governor) following the example of thePavel Gubarev's election.[2]
Kharitonov proposed to elect "Narodny Sovet Luganschiny" (Russian:Народный Совет Луганщины,lit. 'People's Soviet of Luhansk region') and scheduled a new gathering on Sunday 9 March 2014 to present the People's Soviet.[2] From the stage where Kharitonov spoke, it was announced that there were elected 15,000 signatures to conduct a referendum and appeal for help toVladimir Putin.[2] The referendum for federalization of Ukraine was scheduled on 30 March 2014.[2]
On 9 March 2014 after storming the building of Luhansk Oblast State Administration, Aleksandr Kharitonov read out loud a letter of resignation which as he claimed is signed byMykhailo Bolotskykh.[3] Bolotskykh himself left the building with a help of militsiya detachment and did not make any official declarations in that regard.[3] TheUkrayinska Pravda printed an article about the event taken from a local newsmedia and showing the whole process in photos.[4] Over the building raised a Russian tricolor and the crowd sang the Russian anthem.[4] The local militsiya that was present at the scene stood without reaction stating that cannot arrest everyone.[4] The Euromaidan community informed that many buses fromRussia arrived toLuhansk and the "local princes"Oleksandr Yefremov,Arsen Klinchaev, Aleksandr Kharitonov, and chief of SBU Tretiak facilitated intensification of situation.[4] That fact was later confirmed by a former chief of militsiya in Luhansk Oblast.[5]
On 13 March 2014 Kharitonov was arrested by theSecurity Service of Ukraine.[6][1] He was convicted to 5 year with probationary period of 3 years for an attempt of violent change of the constitutional order and seizure of government buildings.[7] In the case of mass riots in Luhansk on 9–10 March 2014 Kharitonov appeared along withArsen Klinchaev.[7] Later Kharitonov was exchanged for hostages and left for Moscow where he organized few pro-separatist Donbass demonstrations titled as "Za Novorossiyu" (Russian:За Новороссию).[1] On 7 November 2014 he returned to Luhansk where he reregistered his Luganskaya Gvardiya and joined the local "Kazak National Guard" led byNikolay Kozitsyn (seeRepublic of Stakhanov).[1] Following the conflict with Anastasiya Paterikova, Kharitonov left the Kazaks.[1]
