“The guilty did not suffer the deserved punishment”: Moscow called for Kiev to seek an investigation into the tragedy in Odessa

Russia calls on the international community to continue to seek from the Ukrainian authorities a full and transparent clarification of all the circumstances of the Odessa tragedy of 2014 and other crimes of the Maidan era. This is stated in the new information message of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Recall that on May 2, 2014 in Odessa, Ukrainian radicals set fire to the House of Trade Unions, in which anti-Maidan activists were blocked. In total, 48 people died that day and more than 200 were injured.

Most of the people died directly in the fire, some crashed while trying to escape from a burning building or were shot.

“This barbaric crime, committed with particular cynicism and cruelty, caused a wide public and international resonance. However, the establishment of all the circumstances of the incident, despite the huge number of videos from the places of events and eyewitness accounts of eyewitnesses, has not yet been completed and those responsible for the mass deaths have not been deservedly punished, ”the Foreign Ministry emphasized.

The agency recalled that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Council of Europe's international advisory group have already expressed concern about the progress of the investigation.

“The change of power in Ukraine in 2019 did not affect the situation. The UN was forced to once again note the absence of any progress in the investigation of the Odessa tragedy, ”the Foreign Ministry added.

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According to the agency, in the report on the human rights situation in Ukraine for the period from November 16, 2019 to February 15, 2020, UN bodies noted "complete impunity in this case and emphasize that the families of the victims are still seeking justice."

“We urge the international community and relevant human rights structures to continue to seek from the Ukrainian authorities a full and transparent clarification of all the circumstances of the Odessa tragedy and other high-profile crimes, including executions on the Maidan and the murder of journalists,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The position of the UN Human Rights Commission in Ukraine

Earlier, a call to investigate the events in Odessa in 2014 was again made at the UN. The corresponding appeal was published by the monitoring mission for human rights in Ukraine.

The organization indicated that over the past year there has been no significant progress in the investigation, criminal proceedings or trials in cases involving a tragedy at the House of Trade Unions, including against police officers accused of improperly responding to clashes and unrest.

“The Office of the Attorney General must ensure an effective, thorough and impartial investigation into the killings and violent deaths. Court presidents should give priority to criminal proceedings in pending cases. Families of victims have the right to truth and justice for the death of their loved ones, ”said Matilda Bogner, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

The UN also provided a list of recommendations to Ukraine and the international community in connection with the investigation of the events in Odessa. In particular, the organization proposed to consider the possibility of transferring a leading role in the investigation from the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odessa Region to the Main Investigative Directorate of the National Police.

The UN Chairpersons of the Courts were advised to take all necessary measures to complete the judicial review "in criminal proceedings in respect of murders and violent deaths committed in the context of violence on May 2, 2014."

“The courts should properly inform all victims who are participants in the proceedings, or return indictments to prosecutors to exclude victims who cannot be notified of court hearings, in order to ensure trials without undue delay,” the list of recommendations also says.

In addition, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was recommended to consider the possibility of amending the special judicial procedure to allow a full review of the case after the arrest of the accused, regardless of the fact of sentencing.

“The international community should consider providing international legal assistance in investigations conducted by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies regarding the responsibility of suspects for the events of May 2, 2014, if extradition requests cannot be satisfied,” summed up the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine .

Reaction of Kiev

The President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky spoke about the investigation of the events in Odessa. He said that the state should make every effort for this.

“I am convinced that the state should do everything to ensure an effective and impartial investigation of all the circumstances of a terrible day. Each of us must do everything so that such things never happen again, ”Zelensky wrote on Telegram in the afternoon of May 2.

According to the Ukrainian leader, the “common challenge” is that people in Ukraine “never perish for the sake of ideological or political“ goals ”.

“So that Ukraine would not be a land of contention, but brotherhood. Where are Lviv, Odessa, Dnipro, Donetsk and Simferopol - a peaceful, flourishing and united country, ”the president concluded.

Recall that in October 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine refused to form an interim commission to investigate the riots in Odessa on May 2, 2014.

Opposition deputies submitted the corresponding initiative to parliament, however, only 79 deputies supported the document with the required minimum of 226 votes.

According to the draft, the main task of the commission was to investigate the circumstances of the riots in Odessa in 2014. As part of this work, it was planned to study the reasons that led to these events, find organizers and instigators, and also check the lawfulness of the actions of law enforcement agencies.