MOSCOW - The Malynovsky District Court in Odesa has changed the restrictive measure against one of the Russian defendants in the case of the events of May 2, 2014, Yevhen Mefedov, from placement into custody to house arrest.
The court adopted this decision at its session on May 27, an Interfax correspondent reported.
The court justified the decision by saying that at present the majority of the evidence in the case has already been examined and that the restrictive measure in the form of house arrest is sufficient for the defendant not to flee trial and leave the country.
The court’s decision triggered a negative reaction from the pro-Ukrainian activists who were present at the session.
As reported, in early April Mefedov went on a hunger strike due to the fact that the court had not released him from a detention facility. In December 2015, Mefedov cut his own arm right in the courtroom because the court had not released him on bail.
The Malynovsky District Court of Odesa is currently hearing one of the most notable cases on the events of May 2, 2014 in Odesa (in particular, the events in Hretska Square). Hearings of the case have been continually postponed due to the prosecution failing to produce evidence in the case against one of the defendants, Mefedov.
As reported, 48 people were killed and more than 200 were injured during the mass riots in Odesa on May 2, 2014. The majority of the victims were killed at Trade Unions House. Investigators established that the mass riots in Odesa had been organized and pre-planned.
Several Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have initiated a dozen criminal proceedings based on various facts of the events in Odesa on May 2, 2014. In particular, the Main Department of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry of the Odesa region opened a number of cases based on the reports of injuries and deaths of people during the clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists. Later these cases were passed on to the Main Investigation Department of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry of the Odesa region. Some of them have already been brought to court.
Moreover, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Odesa region and the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office are investigating the actions of officials with the Main Department of Ukrainian Interior Ministry of the Odesa region and the Main Department of Ukrainian State Emergency Situations Service of the Odesa region during the events of May 2, 2014.
The Ukrainian Security Service of the Odesa region is also conducting a pre-trial investigation in at least one criminal case on the events of May 2, 2014.
