Ukrainian authorities have tried to pressure and intimidate people who were alleged beaten by police during recent protests in capital Kiev, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday in a letter to Ukraine’s prosecutor general.
According to HRW, some people who submitted complaints that investigators had not responded to their requests to be recognized as victims, or had refused without explanation to formally identify them as victims.
“Ukrainian authorities pledged to investigate police violence, but they are intimidating those coming forward with allegations of police abuse,” said Yulia Gorbunova, Ukraine researcher at HRW.
Two alleged victims claimed that investigators failed to provide a crucial referral for a forensic medical examination to document their injuries from police beatings. In some beating cases, authorities are accused of failing to move investigations forward.
"The prosecutor general should ensure a prompt and impartial investigation into the allegations of police abuse and immediately end improper pressure on people who filed complaints," said HRW.
On November 30 and December 1, riot police severely beat numerous peaceful protesters in Kiev, causing head injuries in several cases. Seven protesters interviewed by HRW accused the law enforcement officials investigating the incidents of pressuring and intimidating them.
Mass anti-government protests began after Ukranian President Yanukovych’s decision to walk away from an agreement on free trade and political association with the European Union (EU) in a turn toward Russia.
The protests have now entered their second month, and traffic to Kiev’s Independence Square and Kreschatik Street have been closed since their beginning.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
