The International Advisory Panel overseeing the investigations into the tragic events in Odesa on May 2, 2014 has said that the investigations being carried out by the Ukrainian authorities have so far been insufficient.
“The Panel concluded that, as a result of investigative deficiencies, substantial progress had not been made in the investigations into the violent events in Odesa on 2 May 2015,” the Panel said in a report which was published in Kyiv on Nov. 4.
According to the report, the Panel found that the investigations have faced significant challenges but noted that these challenges “cannot excuse any failings which did not inevitably result from them”.
“Given the evidence is indicative of police complicity in the mass disorder of 2 May 2014 in Odesa, Articles 2 and 3 [European Convention on Human Rights] require that the investigations into the mass disorder as a whole must be carried out by an organ entirely independent from the police. Similarly, the investigation into the conduct of the fire service cannot be regarded as independent, given the structural links between the SES [State Emergencies Service] and the MoI [Ministry of Interior Affairs]. These concerns again highlight the need for an independent and effective mechanism for the investigation of serious human rights violations committed by law enforcement officers and other public officials,” the report said.
The Panel also said that the division of investigative work between the PGO and the Interior Ministry was “inefficient and detrimental to the effectiveness of the investigations.” The Panel said that the quality, progress and effectiveness of the investigations were affected by the decision to give the investigation into the actions of the State Emergencies Service to the local police authorities, which remained inactive during the crucial early stages.
The Panel also expressed serious concern about the decisions to terminate the proceedings against two suspects due to a lack of evidence and noted that the repeated recusals of judges had delayed the start of criminal proceedings.
As reported, 48 people were killed and over 200 injured during civil riots in Odesa on May 2, 2014. Most of the victims were killed in a fire that broke out at the House of Trade Unions in Kulykove Pole which housed a camp of anti-Maidan activists.
