Families of Heavenly Hundred Heroes call upon law enforcement officials, General Prosecutor and government to take measures securing fair investigation of crimes against Revolution of Dignity

WATCH IN ENGLISH

Kyiv, November 9, 2015. Families of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes call upon the law enforcement officials, the General Prosecutor and government to take measures securing fair investigation and punishment, both of the perpetrators and paymasters of crimes against participants of the Revolution of Dignity, said Volodymyr Bondarchuk, son of a Heavenly Hundred Hero and secretary of NGO “Family of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes”, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.  According to Bondarchuk, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is resisting fair investigation of these crimes. “We face conspiracy of silence. People who battered activists at Maidan and made unfair judgments still hold their positions, which is especially painful for us,” he said. According to Bondarchuk, there are a number of bills registered at the Verkhovna Rada related to social security of the families of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes and those injured at Maidan. “In particular, we refer to the bill allowing survivor’s benefit to 16 families of the victims. Unfortunately, these young people did not have sufficient work experience allowing their families receive survivor’s benefit they need so much,” said the secretary of NGO “Family of Heavenly Hundred Heroes”. He also called upon the MPs to review this bill as soon as possible.

Bondarchuk also said that a court hearing of the case on murder of 39 heroes of the Heavenly Hundred took place at 11.30 a.m. on November 10 at Sviatoshynskyi district court (142 Zhylianska Street, Kyiv). Moreover, it is the only case that was brought to court. “Attention of the public and media to this case should be maintained, for it is a significant case. If it is not finished and the guilty are not punished, it will prove that nothing has changed in the country,” said Bondarchuk.

Yevhen Nyshchuk, Ukrainian theater and cinema actor and the Minister of Culture of Ukraine in February-December 2014, said that the President issued a Decree on celebrating November 21 as a Day of Freedom and Dignity. “On that night [in 2013], dark and gloomy, people started another important event for Ukraine, when they fought for their freedom and dignity, protecting the honor of their compatriots who were so disgracefully battered,” said Nyshchuk. This day is important not only for Ukraine, but for the entire world, said the actor, who was also ‘the voice of Maidan’. “Ukraine strengthened during these events, guarding European values, values of democracy, honor, rights and freedoms of every person.”