EU calls for effective investigation of May 18 attack in Kyiv

The European Commission has called on Ukrainian authorities to investigate the attack on journalists during political rallies in Kyiv on May 18. “We did not see sufficient follow-up action on the identification of the perpetrators by the responsible law enforcement agencies,” Peter Stano, the spokesman of European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on May 21, while commenting on the commission’s position on the incident. “Therefore, we call on the Ukrainian authorities to promptly and effectively investigate the allegations of the use of violence, including against journalists. The perpetrators of the violence must be brought to justice to avoid there being a feeling of impunity of those participating in such acts.”

A conflict erupted between opposition supporters and a group of brawlers, who are accused by opposition leaders of being hired by the ruling Party of Regions to provoke violence, in which a television journalist and newspaper photographer were injured. The Party of Regions denies any relation to the attackers, alleging they were hired by the opposition.

“On this occasion, the reports of violence against journalists are cause for alarm,” Stano said. “We regret that the police failed to protect the rights to peaceful assembly.”

Zenon Zawada: Brussels “followed with concern” the violent incidents, Stano said. But they are not a game changer in terms of Ukraine’s prospects for signing the Association Agreement in November. It’s the weekly accumulation of violations of democratic principles that can undermine relations should such incidents become too numerous for the European leadership to ignore. Exceeding the saturation point of democratic violations is entirely possible, in light of numerous recent incidents such as the May 18 violence, the opaque change of ownership in the opposition TVi television network and the ejection from parliament of Serhiy Vlasenko, the lead defense attorney for former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Several critical tests remain, such as a revote planned for five districts in the substandard 2012 parliamentary elections, parliament approving legislation such as adopting a new election code, and the executive branch implementing necessary reforms for the Association Agreement, such as in the judiciary. This is all aside from the key demand that the government arrange for Tymoshenko’s release from prison.