Ihor Markov
Ihor Markov (Ukrainian: Ігор Олегович Марков; Russian: Игорь Олегович Марков; born on 18 January 1973 in Odessa) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, founder and chairman of the Rodina Party and is a former deputy of Ukrainian parliament as a member of the Party of Regions faction.[1] Markov is wanted in Ukraine in connection with riots in Odessa that took place on 2 September 2007.[2] He was arrested in Italy's Sanremo in August 2015.[3] In February 2016 Italy refused Markov's extradition to Ukraine.[4]
Biography
Markov was born in Odessa and graduated there from the Odessa Institute of Marine Engineering (degree in economics and business) and the Odessa State Economic University, majoring in banking.[1] From 1991 he has a business career in oil, media and design of housing companies (some of them founded by him).[1]
Markov began political activity in the Labour Ukraine for which he was a member of the Odessa City Council. In 2006 elections, he was elected to the Odessa City Council on the lists of the People's Opposition Bloc of Natalia Vitrenko.[1] But then formed his own parliamentary group for the by him created Rodina Party.[1]
On 2 September 2007 Markov — along with associates — beat up picketers who were protesting against raising of the monument of the Russian empress Catherine II in Odessa.[1][5][6]
During the 28 October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election Markov (officially registered as an independent candidate[7]) won single-member constituency No. 133 (Kyivsky Raion in Odessa), collecting 26.6% of the vote.[8] Markov was over 6% ahead of his main rival, Party of Regions candidate Honcharenko.[8] And thus Markov was elected into the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament).[9] Police officers had documented the use of pens with disappearing ink in at least 40 polling stations in constituency No. 133 on 28 October 2012.[8] Markov joined the Party of Regions faction in the Verkhovna Rada.[10]
On 12 September 2013 the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine (under a lawsuit lodged by Yuriy Karmazin) ruled it impossible to reliably establish the results of the 28 October 2012 elections in constituency No. 133.[8] The court overturned the Central Election Commission of Ukraine (CEC) decision of 23 November 2012 regarding Markov's registration as a People's Deputy of Ukraine and ordered the CEC to take measures to organize, prepare for and hold repeat elections in constituency No. 133.[8] Markov left the Party of Regions faction on 17 September 2013.[10] In the Ukrainian press he accused his former faction of tapping phones, bullied its members into voting and paying $5,000 monthly[nb 1] to its members for voting how they are told.[11][12] Markov "felt" that the court ruling that stripped him off a seat in parliament was retaliation against his independent position in the Party of Regions and his refusal to be bullied into voting how he was told.[12] Oleksandr Yefremov, Markov's former Party of Regions faction leader, refuted the accusations.[12]
Markov was detained in Odessa on 22 October 2013 after as a suspect of orchestrating the assault and of attacking protesters himself during the 2 September 2007 riots.[2] On 25 February 2014 an Odessa Court freed Markov from custody.[2]
On 24 February 2014 the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov quashed the order of his predecessor Volodymyr Rybak, and returned Markov status of People's Deputy of Ukraine.[1]
Markov did not participate in the 26 October 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[13]
On 24 December 2014 the Ukrainian Interior Ministry again placed Markov on its wanted list in connection with the 2 September 2007 riots.[2] It claimed Markov had disappeared on 4 November 2014.[2] Markov then became a frequently guest on Russian television, where he criticized Ukrainian authorities.[14]
Markov is co-founder and director of pro-Russian public organizations.[1] Markov wants to transform Ukraine from its current presidential republic into a parliamentary republic.[12]
On 3 August 2015 Markov joined the Moscow based "Ukraine Salvation Committee" led by former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov (who is also a former member of the Party of Regions).[3][15] Markov was arrested in Italy's Sanremo on 12 August 2015.[3] In February 2016 Italy refused Markov's extradition to Ukraine; claiming his arrest warrant was politically motivated.[4]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h (in Russian) Small biography, LIGA
- ^ a b c d e Ex-MP Markov placed on wanted list – Interior Ministry, Interfax-Ukraine (24 December 2014)
- ^ a b c Ex-Ukrainian MP Markov arrested in Italy, PGO to ask for extradition – Interior Ministry, Interfax-Ukraine (12 August 2015)
- ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Ukrainian Interpol confirmed that Italy refused to extradite Markov, Ukrayinska Pravda (9 February 2016)
- ^ the proud Ukrainophobe (in Russian)
- ^ the Ukrainophobes in Odessa beat the Ukrainians, YouTube
- ^ (in Russian) Single-mandate constituency number 133, RBC Ukraine
- ^ a b c d e Court strips MP Ihor Markov of his mandate, Interfax-Ukraine (12 September 2013)
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)
- ^ a b Markov quits Party of Regions faction in parliament, Interfax-Ukraine (17 September 2013)
- ^ a b Markov describes Party of Regions faction as Titanic, Interfax-Ukraine (13 September 2013)
- ^ a b c d Former deputy says pro-presidential party run by bullies, Kyiv Post (16 September 2013)
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Alphabetical Index of candidates in 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Central Election Commission of Ukraine.
- ^ Interpol detains pro-Russian ex-deputy Markov at a resort in Italy – media, UNIAN (12 August 2015)
- ^ ""Party of Regions" has excluded Yanukovich, Arbuzov, Klimenko and proceeded to the form of collective management". 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014.
External links
- Personal website (in Russian)