West wont confess truth regrading 2014 Odessa massacre

(MENAFN) A clear indication that a news item undermining the Ukrainian regime and its Western supporters is important is the Western mainstream media’s attempt to downplay or ignore it. This pattern has persisted for over a decade, and unless the West fully abandons its proxy war with Russia, it is unlikely that the media will treat Ukraine’s leadership with the same level of scrutiny as other nations. The latest example of this can be seen in the media’s muted response to a landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which found Ukraine's authorities guilty of gross failures in handling the deadly violence in Odessa in May 2014.

The court's ruling, which is readily accessible, centers on the Ukrainian government's inability to prevent or respond adequately to violent clashes between pro- and anti-regime factions in Odessa. These events, which resulted in 48 deaths and hundreds of injuries, were followed by a decade-long failure to investigate the incident properly. The ECHR determined that Ukraine violated the right to life and the right to an effective investigation, recognizing the authorities' failure to protect victims and ensure timely rescue measures. In one case, a violation of the right to respect for private and family life was also found due to delays in returning a victim's body.

Despite the severity of the ruling, Ukraine’s media, such as Ukrainska Pravda, and some Western outlets have attempted to deflect blame by accusing Russia of involvement. This tactic is part of a broader narrative in Ukraine, where successes are attributed to Ukraine and failures are blamed on Russia. This deflection highlights the lack of genuine accountability and the state of Ukraine’s media and civil society, which remain under tight control.

For those Western outlets that have mentioned the ruling, like Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the ECHR’s condemnation of Ukraine is acknowledged, but the narrative quickly shifts to Russian involvement to soften the impact of the judgment. The lack of significant media attention to this case underscores the continuing bias and reluctance to critically assess Ukraine’s handling of this tragic event.

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