Being the Human Rights Ombudsman, I am outraged that the trial was inconsistent with the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights. It took three years for Ukrainian judicial bodies to declare the defendants in the case of May 2 in Odessa not guilty. Earlier, United Nations representatives expressed their concern over the protracted investigation. At the same time there is no convincing evidence against the accused people, none of it was ever found. The prosecutor’s office failed to provide evidence supporting the prosecution. At the same time, EuroMaidan activist Sergei Khodiyak accused of murder of peaceful protesters, stayed behind bars for only two days.
I am astonished by prejudice and dependence of the pre-trial investigation on the persons involved in the events of May 2, 2014. But even more I am outraged that two people acquitted by the court Evgeny Mefedov and Sergei Dolzhenkov were arrested in the courtroom on a new charge. This time they were charged with infringement on the territorial integrity and inviolability of the state in accordance with Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
We have no doubts these people are innocent.
Human Rights Ombudsman in the DPR Daria Morozova.
Source: DAN
