After the terrible tragedy in Odessa, the witnesses of which were thousands of inhabitants of Odessa (then in the result of arson House of trade unions were burned dozens of people), it’s been three years. However, the investigation of this crime, the brutality of which shocked the world, still has not been completed, the perpetrators of the mass death of people is not punished, justice is not being served…
Events 2 may 2014 known by the minute, for three years, interviewed hundreds of witnesses and collected thousands of video – and photoproofs… However, the results of the investigation, which is expected not only in Ukraine but all over the world, is still there. The lack of progress in the investigation of the Odessa tragedy only reinforces the doubts that the government is interested in establishing the truth.
The international Advisory group of the Council of Europe, who oversaw the investigation into the tragedy, in November 2015, concluded that the investigation did not meet the requirements of the European Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, was neither objective nor independent nor effective.
Concern about the progress of the investigation expressed in the United Nations. In reports of the office of the UN high Commissioner for human rights on the situation of human rights in Ukraine, has repeatedly been cases of interference in the activities of the judiciary, as well as procedural violations, “which indicate a lack of interest in proper investigation and prosecution of perpetrators as well as direct and indirect political intervention, suggesting deliberate obstruction of justice and delay in its implementation”.
That the main obstacle to establishing the truth during the investigation of the tragedy on may 2 is not the incompetence of the investigating authorities, and “…desire to bring to justice those who did it,” said two years ago, and who was then the U.S. representative to the United Nations Samantha Power.
However, neither the outrage of the Ukrainian public nor criticism of international institutions forced the government to bring the investigation to its logical conclusion. Despite the wide public response, court hearings are still migrating, the radicals put pressure on the court, recusals of judges is ongoing, and the chief of the National police in Odessa region Dmitry Golovin said that many of the evidence on may 2, 2014 lost. With this approach the authorities an objective and impartial investigation should not wait.
Realizing this, the relatives of the victims in the trade unions Building in August of 2016, filed a lawsuit in the European court of human rights (ECHR), it is their only chance to legally commit the inaction of the authorities. The ECHR confirmed that the claim is accepted for consideration. The lawyers believe that this will not only spur the investigation, but will also force it to be fair and impartial.
I’d like to believe that the hopes of the relatives of the victims will be justified, and the perpetrators of this terrible crime will be punished. After an investigation of the Odessa tragedy is a kind of test for compliance the team evrointegratorov the principles that it is constantly declared: democracy, openness, the rule of law. And this test fails.
