You're reading: Judge in EuroMaidan murders case attacked in Kyiv

Serhii Diachuk, a judge hearing the case of murders of the participants of the EuroMaidan Revolution which forced then-President Viktor Yanukovych from power in 2014, had been attacked in Kyiv on Sept. 14, the Council of Judges of Ukraine said.

The judge was attacked and beaten up at around 10 p.m. on Sept. 14 near his home. He was hospitalized and later sent home to receive medical treatment.

Diachuk believes that the attack is related to his work as a judge of Sviatoshynskyi District Court in Kyiv. He is famous for having been hearing the case of five former officers of Berkut riot police force suspected of the murder of anti-government protesters. Nearly 100 people protesting Yanukovych’s government were killed during the 2013-2014 revolution.

The police, however, don’t link the attack to the judge’s work. The police detained the attacker on Sept. 15. They said he was a Kyiv citizen, 54 years old. 

The police say that the attack occurred after Diachuk noticed a man putting trash on fire in the parking lot, and “made a remark” on that. The man, who was the parking lot’s security guard, allegedly grabbed a metal stick and beat Diachuk on his hands and head. Witnesses of the assault called the ambulance for the judge, the police say. 

The man is facing charges of hooliganism and three to seven years in prison. 

The assaulted judge and the Council of Judges believe the attack was connected to Diachuk’s work.

In the statement published by the Council of Judges on their website on Sept. 14, Diachuk says that he previously received threats from people dissatisfied with his rulings. 

Oleh Tkachuk, the head of the Council of Judges, expressed his concerns.

“The Council of Judges of Ukraine is concerned about the fact that those who call on the violence against judges have started turning to actions more often. It is urgent to take measures that will put an end to this,” Tkachuk said in the statement.