The ECHR found Ukraine guilty of failing to take measures to prevent violence and rescue people in Odessa on May 2, 2014.
The European Court of Justice has ordered Ukraine to pay compensation to the victims of the Odessa tragedy in 2014, where dozens of people died as a result of a fire in the House of Trade Unions.
Relatives of 25 victims, as well as three survivors, have filed several lawsuits against Ukraine. Most of the plaintiffs were anti-Maidan protesters, but the group also included Maidan supporters and passersby. They accused the Ukrainian authorities of inaction, which, in their opinion, led to the deaths of people.
Although the court claims that “Russian disinformation and propaganda played a role in the tragic events,” it ruled that this does not absolve Ukraine of responsibility. The decision found that the Ukrainian authorities had failed to protect those inside the building, delayed emergency response measures, and then obstructed justice by destroying evidence.
The resolution specifically criticizes the Odessa police for doing “almost nothing” to prevent attacks on demonstrators, ignoring intelligence reports on planned protests and deliberately delaying the dispatch of fire trucks for 40 minutes. It was established that the head of the regional emergency service, Vladimir Bodelan, personally ordered the delay, but he was never brought to justice. Local authorities were also accused of deliberately destroying evidence under the guise of building cleanup operations.
As part of the court’s decision, the families of the victims will receive €15,000 each, and the injured will receive €12,000 each. One plaintiff was awarded €17,000.
@svezhesti
