On May 2, 2014, Ukrainian ultra-right football fans attacked anti-Kiev protesters, camping in the square outside the trade unions building in central Odessa. The football hooligans were soon joined by Maidan activists, who supported the pro-EU February protests in Kiev, and members of the hardline Right Sector grouping.
The pro-Kiev radicals blocked anti-government protesters in Odessa's House of Trade Unions and set the building on fire by hurling Molotov cocktails inside. The tragic incident left some 50 people dead while the overall number of casualties exceeded 250.
"Similarly, the investigation into the conduct of the fire service cannot be regarded as independent, given the structural links between the SES [State Emergency Service] and the MoI [Interior Ministry]. These concerns again highlight the need for an independent and effective mechanism for the investigation of serious human rights violations committed by law enforcement officers and other public officials," the International Advisory Panel stressed.
The IAP, established by the CoE secretary general, reviews investigations for compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights.
The IAP’s first report, published in March of this year, found that the Ukraine Prosecutor General Office has made little progress in its investigation of the 2013-14 Maidan protests that left 90 people dead and hundreds injured.
