UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission calls for avoiding any delays in Maidan investigations

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission posted a relevant statement on its Facebook page.

“Six years ago today the Maidan protests started. 96 men and 2 women were killed or lost their lives due to violence between 21 January and 20 February 2014. The investigation has failed to identify individual perpetrators in the killing of 17 protestors (including one woman) and 13 law enforcement servicemen,” reads the statement.

The organization stressed that “it is crucial to avoid any interruption in the investigations, which is already marked with delays”.

“We call on the Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigations to ensure that transfer of the Maidan investigations does not result in any delays,” reads the statement.

Earlier, a special commission had been established at the Prosecutor General’s Office for transferring the Maidan cases to such investigation bodies as the National Police, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the State Bureau of Investigation.

As Ukrinform reported, the investigative powers of the Prosecutor General's Office expire on November 20. At the same time, the Prosecutor General's Office will continue to provide supervision in criminal proceedings that will be transferred to the pre-trial investigation bodies.

Ukraine marks the Day of Dignity and Freedom every year on November 21, in line with a president’s decree as of November 13, 2014. The holiday was established to commemorate on this day two significant and fateful events in contemporary Ukrainian history: the 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2013 Revolution of Dignity.

iy