New video footage of the deadly shootings in central Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2014, at the height of the EuroMaidan Revolution was released by the representatives of some the victims during a court hearing on Feb. 14th.
The video, which appears to have been filmed from the Hotel Ukraine, located some 300 meters up from Maidan Nezalezhnosti, shows people wearing black uniforms firing at protesters from behind trucks parked in front of barricades.
Flashes and puffs of smoke can be seen on the video as riot police officers appear to fire on the protesters. At the same time, close-up footage shows protesters on the other side falling to the ground on Instytutska Street after being shot. At least 48 people were killed, and more than 80 were injured in the incident.
The person who shot the video is as yet unknown.
A video released on Feb. 14th shows people wearing black uniforms firing at EuroMaidan activists on Instytutska Street in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2014.
Pavlo Sydorenko, a coordinator of the Initiative Group for the Victims during the events on the Maidan, says such evidence will strengthen the case of the victims, adding that it rules out the theory of the Berkut riot police lawyers that protesters attacked police-controlled positions, provoking a deadly response.
“The close-up shows that the protesters couldn’t attack the (riot-police) positions, they wanted to make a smokescreen and used wooden shields to protect themselves,” Sydorenko told the Kyiv Post. “There’s about six gigabytes of video and photo evidence, and we’re constantly in touch with the victims and their families asking them to give us any new information they might possibly have – because we know it’s helping.”
Roman Psyuk from the Special Investigations Department investigating the Maidan crimes supports the case.
However, Oleksandr Horoshynsky, a lawyer of the two arrested riot police members, said on air on Feb. 14 that there’s not much information in the video, and a firearms examination is still needed.
The investigation into the murder of more than 100 protesters during the 94 days of the revolution has stalled, however.
Only five members of now-disbanded Berkut riot police have been put on trial for their alleged role in mass killings of EuroMaidan activists in late February 2014. They have been charged with abuse of power, attempted murder, and illegally preventing citizens from peacefully demonstrating.
Another 21 pro-government thugs have been on the wanted list since the time of the protests. No cases against the suspected organizers of the murders have been sent to court, even though three years have already passed since the revolution.
