Halya Coynash: Police and prosecutors accused of protecting Maidan murder suspect from justice

Published Feb. 6, 2017 at 9:57 am

In freezing temperatures (– 13 ℃), massed ranks of riot police (foreground) push against EuroMaidan protesters, many of whom are wearing orange construction helmets for protection, as the police attempt early on Dec. 11, 2013 to force the protesters away from the barricade on Instytutska Street next to Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Later that day, Berkut riot police attempted to retake control of Kyiv city hall, but were forced back by a huge crowd that gathered by the building. The police were also doused with icy water sprayed from inside the building by protesters.

Photo by Kostyantyn Chernichkin

A journalist investigation has highlighted disturbing police and prosecutor links which may explain the baffling downgrading in the charges against Yury Krysin, who took part in the killing of journalist Viacheslav Veremiy during the bloodiest days of EuroMaidan in February 2014. Krysin has admitted to taking part in the savage attack on Veremiy, and though he did not fire the shot which killed the journalist, the requalification of the charges from murder to mere ‘hooliganism’ and Krysin’s success in avoiding detention have long caused bemusement.

It is no less worrying that the article by Maria Tomak from the Media Human Rights Initiative makes it clear that much of the information was previously brought to the attention of the relevant authorities and ignored.