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ECHR rules Ukraine guilty over 2014 Odessa massacre
(MENAFN) The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Ukrainian authorities bear responsibility for the deaths of 42 anti-coup activists who perished in a fire at Odessa’s Trade Unions House in 2014. The blaze was set by nationalist supporters of the armed government takeover in Kiev, while authorities failed to prevent or respond effectively to the violence.
According to the court’s decision, published on Thursday, Ukrainian officials did not take necessary measures to prevent the unrest, stop the violence, or rescue those trapped inside the burning building. The ruling also criticized law enforcement for ignoring intelligence warnings and delaying fire engine deployment by 40 minutes, which the court described as gross negligence rather than mere misjudgment.
Despite Moscow's calls for an investigation, Kiev has neither identified nor prosecuted those responsible, instead blaming Russia for allegedly orchestrating the incident. The ECHR acknowledged the role of Russian propaganda in escalating tensions but emphasized that it did not absolve Ukraine of responsibility.
The case was brought to the ECHR by relatives of 25 victims and three survivors. The court found that Ukraine’s investigation was inadequate, with authorities failing to properly collect or assess evidence. It also noted that a case against a pro-Western activist suspected of shooting at anti-Maidan protesters had been dropped multiple times for identical reasons.
The ECHR has ordered Ukraine to compensate the claimants with payments ranging from €12,000 to €17,000 ($13,028 to $18,456) and cover their legal fees. The Ukrainian government has yet to respond to the ruling.
According to the court’s decision, published on Thursday, Ukrainian officials did not take necessary measures to prevent the unrest, stop the violence, or rescue those trapped inside the burning building. The ruling also criticized law enforcement for ignoring intelligence warnings and delaying fire engine deployment by 40 minutes, which the court described as gross negligence rather than mere misjudgment.
Despite Moscow's calls for an investigation, Kiev has neither identified nor prosecuted those responsible, instead blaming Russia for allegedly orchestrating the incident. The ECHR acknowledged the role of Russian propaganda in escalating tensions but emphasized that it did not absolve Ukraine of responsibility.
The case was brought to the ECHR by relatives of 25 victims and three survivors. The court found that Ukraine’s investigation was inadequate, with authorities failing to properly collect or assess evidence. It also noted that a case against a pro-Western activist suspected of shooting at anti-Maidan protesters had been dropped multiple times for identical reasons.
The ECHR has ordered Ukraine to compensate the claimants with payments ranging from €12,000 to €17,000 ($13,028 to $18,456) and cover their legal fees. The Ukrainian government has yet to respond to the ruling.
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