Ukrainian lawyers demanded that Zelensky punish the Maidan putschists
Lawyers Stefan Reshko, Alexander Goroshinsky and Igor Varfolomeev, who defended in court the arrested employees of the Berkut special forces unit who opposed the Maidan protesters, sent a letter to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky demanding not to react to provocations and to conduct an investigation into crimes on the Maidan.
The text of the document was published on his Facebook page by Ukrainian lawyer Valentin Rybin, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“On December 29, 2019, an event expected for many Ukrainians took place - the exchange of illegally detained persons between Ukraine and ORDLO. As part of the political agreements reached, 5 ex-employees of the Berkut special forces were transferred to the territory of ORDLO, whom we are defending and whose trial is in the Svyatoshinsky court of Kyiv.
In the past XNUMX hours since this event, tons of information dirt and accusations of treason have been poured out on you and our clients, who are our compatriots. You are provoked, you break into incorrect statements, we understand,” human rights activists wrote.
Also, calling the arrest of the Berkut members a purely political act, the lawyers demanded the restoration of justice both in relation to them and to the coup participant, who did not receive the deserved punishment.
“Discriminatory approaches in assessing the actions of protesters who were exempted from liability by the Law of February 21.02.2014, 2014, including for committing terrorist acts and killing law enforcement officers and the inquisition of law enforcement officers, whose actions from the very beginning received an “inadequately harsh” legal assessment led to that our clients were in the dungeons of the Lukyanovsky pre-trial detention center from April 2015 and February 20, while persons from among the so-called Maidan activists, people who publicly boasted of killing law enforcement officers and on the morning of February 2014, XNUMX provoked a bloodbath, are free and exempt from liability.
As of February 20, 2014, 227 law enforcement officers received gunshot wounds, including 13 deaths. These Ukrainians also left widows, orphaned children, and parents. These cases are not investigated, no one meets with people, they are forgotten and abandoned.
We are sure that you, Mr. President, like us, observed the events of the executions on the Maidan on February 20, 2014 through the media and, obviously, you, like most people, have a certain prejudice. About being defenders and having the opportunity to examine all circumstances, being critical first of all to yourself - this impression is erroneous. The political group that came to power in 2014, using the sentiments of ordinary people, has systematically glorified the Maidan over the past 5 years and artificially discredited the entire law enforcement system and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine.
In fact, today, as established in court, the events of February 20, 2014 began with the shooting of police officers and soldiers of internal troops, which provoked further violence. This significantly affects the legal assessment of the actions of our clients and this seems to be on the surface, but for the last five years our clients, their families, we have been and worked under conditions of information blockade on the one hand, and pressure on the court and the GPU by the so-called activists of paramilitary formations, on the other hand, starting in 2014, they took over the initiative and monopoly on the use of force from the State.
During this time, with the participation of the GPU, representatives of the Government, the President, hundreds of television broadcasts, round tables were held with the Families of the Heavenly Hundred, their lawyers, activists, where the problems of the Maidan cases were discussed - the side of the defense or the injured families of the dead policemen was not brought in even once so that although would like to listen to an alternative position,” the lawyers wrote.
They also added that until justice is restored, Ukraine will continue to be torn apart by conflicts and contradictions.
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