Talk:Odessa Trade Union massacre/Investigations

Timeline

 * May 8: Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch jointly call for an impartial investigation, relating what was reported so far, with questions about police response and other issues. They put the onus on Kiev to be fair, and note their promise to work with experts from Europe and Israel.


 * May 12 - formation of May 2 Committee. The May 2 Committee, a panel of civic leaders, journalists, experts coordinated by social worker Sergey Dibrov. A May 19 report has Dibrov explaining (it seems) it wasn't to replace official investigations but to do their own work since people shouldn't just trust it. Pro-federalists opposed the inclusion of journalist Yuri Tkachev, but Dibrov and others insisted he stay for a balanced view. Tkachev earlier said, in an interview with DW, that federalists started the trouble, and the first victim was on the Euromaidan side. The latter is apparently undeniable, the former seems true on the surface but is well worth questioning) while noting the Maidanistas did come armed and ready to be provoked ...  "We want to show what happened and when, having painted events by the minute," said Dibrov. They planned to annoince their first findings in early June.


 * May 13? Something from the Ukrainian Rada http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1264-vii --Caustic Logic (talk) 01:34, 24 August 2014 (UTC)
 * This should announce the creation of a "Temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the facts of death of people in the cities of Odessa, Mariupol and other cities of Donetsk and Lugansk Ukraine (TSC created May 13, 2014 consisting of 10 deputies, elected chairman of the TSC MP from the "Party of Regions" Anton Kisse (Кіссе), deputy - MP from the Union "Fatherland" Alexander Dubovogo..." (as mentioned by MFA July 23)  Interesting tidbit: " Ex-Head of the Odessa Police Dmitry Fuchedzhi accuses deputy from the party "Fatherland" Alexander Dubogovo (Александра Дубового) of organizing mass riots in Odessa May 2..." (Antimaydan Odessa)


 * June 2: Party of Regions has started an investigation www.newsru.ua/ukraine/02jun2014/efram.html

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/HRMMUReport15June2014.pdf This calls Odessa "the most serious single incident of significant loss of life in Ukraine since the killings on Maidan," and noted that the government is blocking oversight of its dubious investigations:
 * June 15 UN report
 * ...six official investigations have been established. The main bodies undertaking such investigations are the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the State Security Service in Ukraine (SBU). It is with regret that the HRMMU reports a lack of cooperation from both governmental bodies, particularly at the central level with the HRMMU, which has been preventing the HRMMU from conducting a proper assessment of the progress made.


 * August 5 "Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Vitaly Yarema on Saturday urged to speed up the investigation of the May 2 tragic events in Odessa, which claimed the lives of at least 48 people and injured over 200. “In this context I would like to pay attention to the necessity of a speedy legal decision, concerning criminal proceedings over the tragic events in Odessa in early May,” UNIAN news agency quoted Yarema as saying." Ria.ru


 * September 4: "On September 4 Chairman of the commission of the Odessa regional council Grigory Yepur said that the commission had disbanded itself. The investigation has been conducted by the Prosecutor's General and the Interior Ministry of Ukraine which are not accountable to deputies of a local level, Yepur said." (Itar-Tass, Sept. 8) --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:59, 10 September 2014 (UTC)


 * September 8: Parliament Investigation releases report. See below --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:59, 10 September 2014 (UTC) and Caustic Logic (talk) 11:11, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

Rada Investigation Report

 * Official report on Rada website, Sept. 8 (in Ukrainian - note: endorsements may not be accurate)
 * Detailsed report Direct .RTF download link: Додаток (1) 05.09.2014 (working on a summary / translation) --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:38, 12 September 2014 (UTC)

The Dumskaya critique by Oleg Konstantinov says (translated) the report "raises questions" about "factual errors, which are abundant in the document - it confused even the leaders of organizations and institutions that have been actively involved in the tragedy," an issue already covered by "Timer." He then notes conclusions - signed off on by all members - that contradict what some members (specified: Svetlana Fabricant and Anton Dorohov) had earlier said, and in fact what they had agreed to sign - a version of the report already given to Dumskaya that differed in at least 4 major ways from the later official version. This raised the question if they changed their minds, were forced to sign, or what. Apparently, it was changed after their signatures (see below) --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:56, 10 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Immediate critique: Report of the Parliamentary Commission on the events of May 2 "tweaked" after signing by People's Deputy Dumskaya, Sep. 8


 * Closing: "How all these changes have changed the essence of the report, judge for yourself. We hope to get explanations for the transformation of text here with the Committee Chairman Anton Kisse and his Deputy Alexander Dubogov." (The 4 Redactions outlined below) --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:38, 12 September 2014 (UTC)


 * No official conclusion despite long investigation into mass death in Odessa Itar-Tass, Sept. 8
 * The Ukrainian experts have failed to establish the exact causes of mass death of people in Odessa on May 2, the Ukrainian Rada said on its website, citing an investigative commission of the Ukrainian parliament for an investigation into mass death of citizens in the building of the Trade Unions in Odessa, in Mariupol and other cities of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.--Caustic Logic (talk) 09:56, 10 September 2014 (UTC)


 * "In the absence of modern equipment local experts were unable to establish objective reasons of the people's death," the investigative commission said in its account available on the website.


 * "Only with the assistance of international experts it will be possible to find out if there were hazardous substances in the bodies of the victims who died in the building of the Trade Unions in Odessa," the commission said.
 * Nonetheless, perhaps confusingly:
 * The commission reported that 48 forensic examinations of the bodies killed in Kulikovo field square had been carried out. All in all, 85 forensic examinations and 160 other tests were appointed, the commission said.
 * The results of the forensic tests showed that nine people died of poisoning by toxic fire fumes, thirteen were poisoned by hazardous substances which caught fire, twelve died of heavy burns of the respiratory system and body burns and eight were killed, falling from an altitude of eight meters. Six died of fatal gunshot wounds, the commission said.


 * Kyiv Post backs this up:
 * Objective reasons for the loss of life during tragic events in Odesa on May 2 cannot be obtained due to the lack of modern equipment from local experts, according to members of the temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada Committee investigating the deaths of citizens in Odesa, Mariupol and other cities in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.

Well, someone had planned to call on experts months ago. As Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch mentioned on May 8: "The newly appointed police chief said in a statement to the media that a team of Kiev investigators was working on establishing what had happened and that they would soon be joined by independent experts from Israel and Europe." --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:56, 10 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Objective reasons for the loss of life during tragic events in Odesa on May 2 cannot be obtained due to the lack of modern equipment from local experts, according to members of the temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada Committee investigating the deaths of citizens in Odesa, Mariupol and other cities in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.


 * Media says Ukraine’s Rada report on probe to Odessa massacre fabricated Itar-Tass, Sept. 9
 * The final report about the results of the probe into the massacre in Odessa on May 2, 2014 and into other episodes of violence in other Ukrainian cities that was published by the Verkhovha Rada /parliament/ has been fabricated, Odessa-based media said on Tuesday.
 * The report of the investigation commission set up within the Verkhovna Rada was presented to journalists by the commission’s secretary Svetlana Fabrikant.
 * (the "media" isn't named or linked to, but seems to be Dumskaya, cited above. This I-T article provides details on what was cut, as well as what was inserted, that I'd rather cover under the primary source.

MP Fabrikant swiftly confirmed that the report had been altered after her signature, into something she insisted her name be taken off of.
 * Svetlana Fabrikant, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and secretary of the parliamentary commission probing into the massacre in Odessa on May 2, 2014 and into other episodes of violence in other Ukrainian cities, on Tuesday withdrew her signature under the commission’s report, saying it had been falsified.
 * “Regrettably, other members of the commission made some adjustments to the document after I had signed it,” she said. “After the document was published on the official website of the parliament, I found my signature under a different document and I cannot agree with it.” ... “Key participants in those developments had never showed up at the commission’s sessions. The reluctance of officials to provide explanations to the commission is an eloquent answer. What kind of openness and joint work can we speak about?” she said, adding that the authorities were apparently seeking to drop the investigation of the Odessa tragedy. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:56, 10 September 2014 (UTC)

Identified Redactions
The following are my (partly) repaired Yandex/Google translations of the 4 points Konstantinov makes in his September 8 article for Dumskaya. Note for anyone trying the same: it's a Russian-language site, here citing Ukrainian sources in Ukrainian, so you have to switch. --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:14, 12 September 2014 (UTC)

1. The second version shows a very different role in Odessa's events of the former Secretary of the NSDC Andriy Parubiy and ex-Governor Vladimir Nemirovsky. The text, which showed People's Deputy, they are referred to as (original language):
 * "However, written information on the issues discussed in the specified session and instructions provided by the results of Ukraine's NSDC Secretary repeated requests for temporary investigative commission did not provide. Outside the attention of the investigation remained involved in the events of nearly 500 people who were promoted by the President of the Odessa Regional State Administration Nemirovsky VL was brought to Odessa from Kiev square and placed at checkpoints. Community of independent journalists believe that these men were key players stripping campsite at Kulikovo field and set the House of Trade Unions.
 * The event has a common response among the public of the city, as further developments and the lack of information on matters that solved while in NSDC Secretary allows dissemination of information that this officer controlled the action of so-called "self-defense groups."

These passages have been deleted. Information about five hundred "maydanovtsev" now appears only in direct speech fugitive deputy head regional ATC Dmitri Fuchedzhi. About Parubiya piece was moved to the top, where there is a speech about the difficulties faced by the Commission in its investigation. It sounds as follows:
 * "In numerous meetings with representatives of the Interim Commission of Inquiry public c. Odessa focused on his arrival on the eve of May Day to the city. Odessa previous Secretary Parubiya AV and arrival after the tragic events 05/03/2014 to the city. Odessa Deputy Minister Interior-Chief of Staff CEBOTARU SI creation by operations staff to stabilize the operational situation in the city. Odessa and Odessa region and taking over the role of leadership. According to members of the Interim Commission of Inquiry, these persons would clarify the situation regarding the events that took place from 2 to 4 May 2014 in the city. Odessa."

Clearly, the difference between the deleted paragraphs the ones that appear is colossal.

2. In the part where they talk about the famous meeting in the regional Prosecutor office - exactly at the time of deployment of the opposing sides - added the phrase "at the entrance to the office, where the meeting was held, it had a sign asking you to turn off mobile phones" (about this meeting, which was held by the Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolai Banchuk, first told Fusegi). In the original text it was only the following remark: "the direction of Banya M.V. present at the meeting to turn off cell phones were not provided".

3. From a piece of "according to the investigative authorities, the conflict ALLEGED ( НАЧЕБТО ) provoked by Pro-Russian parties, which were among the participants of the rally for unity with Russia and support the federalization of Ukraine", the word "like" ( начебто ), that was "supposedly" ( якобы ). One word, and the text is played quite differently!

4. From the paragraph, which originally looked like this: "After the events that took place in the shopping center "Athena" one of the leaders of "Euromaidan" Andrew Yusov on Preobrazhenskaya street organizes and encourages "Euromaidan" activists to move on Kulikovo field, where the representatives of Antimidaidam," he disappeared Yusov (it was replaced by "some leaders "Euromaidan") and the representatives of "Antimaidan".

Full Report Summary
Meetings: First the report explains the commission, lists signatories (to the prior draft anyway), and then outlines the meetings held. The first meeting was held on May 16, to get organized. Other meetings on May 21, 22, 23, 26 27 29, June 2, 4, 5, and 16 the committee met mainly with various security officials, mainly about the events in Odessa -May 21 met with "staff of the Odessa city management research Affairs of Ukraine in Odessa region," who told them "about the complex preparatory, preventive and investigative measures aimed at ensuring public order" on the day of the clashes and massacre, "as well as the relatively prompt action by law enforcement officers during these events." It seems some of their actions were relatively prompt, but it's the others that needed more scrutiny. --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:14, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

"Verbal explanations" were provided at these meetings by some 32 "experts" - mainly anti-terrorism and national guard types. They did not seem to invite any survivors, family of victims, or representatives of their camp, for an inside view of "who killed you and how?" With these masses of people giving their opinions how to understand the videos of "they started it," chances are high they had little time to really cover what happened at the Trade Union hall anyway. --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:14, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

June 24, they met with "a group of journalists and experts who are conducing and independent investigation into the events that took place May 2 in Odessa. July 9 and 24 they considered events in Mariupol (see Mariupol Massacre), hearing from "former Representative Battalion "Azov", a member of Mariupol City Council and others." On Sept. 2 fthey held a inal meeting, "which concluded its work and adopted the report of the Commission on the work done." --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:14, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

In addition to these meetings and of the meetings, the Chairman of the Interim investigation Commission A. I. Kisse "held two meetings with the Head of the Monitoring UN mission on human rights in Ukraine Mr. Armen Harutyunyan and meeting with representatives of the Special monitoring of the OSCE mission to Ukraine," where he "drew attention to the need for European experts independent examination of the dead bodies," which Harutyunyan has promised to facilitate - committee asked the Minister of Internal Affairs which asked the embassies of the US, Israel, Germany, and the UK. - it apparently never happened. --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:14, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

Findings:
 * Acknowledgment of illegality by pro-Kiev elements is vague but present: "On the Kulikovo field representatives "Euromaidan" started to burn the tents and to commit unlawful acts against activists "Antimaidan" who locked themselves in the House of trade unions." Do they mean "had locked themselves in," prior to the acts, or ran in to escape the violence? Because the former is more true. --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:14, 14 September 2014 (UTC)


 * "According to the results of their review... the Commission directed in the main investigation Department of the Ministry of internal Affairs ... (to establish) new defendants in the event that may be involved in the organization of mass riots and the death of large numbers of citizens, in Odessa, as well as establishing the persons who have committed illegal acts." Names were agreed on, then removed (see . --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:14, 14 September 2014 (UTC)

* "April 29, 2014, Odessa, chaired by the Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Parubiy A.V. held a meeting of the operational staff to ensure a co-ordinated measures to respond rapidly to challenges and threats to national security of Ukraine with participation of the Odessa regional state administration, management, security service (et al.)"


 * "Head of the Odessa city police Department Luzuko PS (Petr Lutsyuk) reported that on may 2, scheduled three events: the first set - a-side football, the second - on the Kulikovo field, where after 18.00 hours, it was planned to collect up to 200 people, and the third near the monument to Duke, where after 18.00 hours, it was planned to collect up to 200 people."