Olena Lukash


Olena Lukash is a Ukrainian jurist and politician and former Minister of Justice of Ukraine, member of the Party of Regions. She is a Merited Jurist of Ukraine.

Biography

Born on November 12, 1976, in Rîbnița, Moldavian SSR, Lukash lived in Severodonetsk since 1977. She graduated from the Academy of Labor and Social Relations at the Trade Union Federations of Ukraine in 2000.
In 2001, she received a certificate to conduct jurist activities and in 2001–03 directed a company "Agency "In the Name of Law". In 2004–05 Lukash was a senior instructor at the Ukrainian academy of foreign trade and later the Jurist Agency "Libera". In 2005 she defended several participants of the "Severodonetsk Congress".
From 2006 to 2012, she was elected to the Verkhovna Rada. During that time Lukash was a People's Deputy of Ukraine and the First Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers. In 2010–11 she was the First Deputy Chairman of Presidential Administration and represented the President of Ukraine in the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. In December 2012 Lukash was appointed the Minister of Cabinet of Ministers.
On July 2, 2013, Oleksandr Lavrynovych was elected as member of the Supreme Council of Justice of Ukraine. Lukash replaced Lavrynovych as Justice Minister 2 days later.
Since February 2014, Lukash is wanted for murder and mass complicity in the February 2014 Ukrainian revolution when President Yanukovych fled to Russia.
Since then she is also placed on an EU sanctions list. Since June 2015 Lukash is also wanted on abuse of office and fraud charges.
On November 5, 2015, the Security Service of Ukraine has arrested Olena Lukash, who was on the wanted list for involvement in the crimes against Euromaidan protestors.

Family

Her younger sister Tetyana, Merited Jurist of Ukraine, is a member of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine.
Lukash's husband Lieutenant General Hryhoriy Ilyashov is a former director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. He was replaced late June 2014.