Ihor Indylo investigation complete – and predictably unsatisfactory

The Prosecutor General’s website reported on Monday that the investigation had been completed into the death in police custody of student Ihor Indylo. Two officers of the Shevchenkivsky Police Station have been charged with exceeding their official duties Article 365 § 2 of the Criminal Code) and negligence (Article 367 § 1). Ihor’s parents and their lawyer are dissatisfied with the results and intend to demand another examination.

According to lawyer, Oleksandr Zarutsky, the charge of negligence is because the men did not check whether Ihor had been brought to the police station lawfully and did not ensure observation while he was there and unlawfully placed him in a room for detainees.

As reported, Ihor should have turned 20 the next day, and had been marking his coming birthday with a friend. He had committed no offence, went voluntarily to the police station, apparently after an altercation with a police officer living in the same student hostel. He died from head injuries and haemorrhaging.  The police are still claiming that Ihor fell in a state of inebriation and that no police officers are implicated in his death.

However on 28 May, two days after a report on TV “1 + 1” which gave an entirely conflicting story, a criminal investigation was initiated, and top officials in the police station suspended.

Oleksandr Zarutsky points out that nobody has explained how Ihor received such injuries. Lyudmila Indylo, Ihor’s mother says: “I still don’t know who could have inflicted the injuries that Ihor died of. In my opinion the police are covering one another, concealing the real story from us. Together with our lawyer, I am going to follow the court proceedings and decide what to do next.”

Human rights defenders believe that the Prosecutor General’s decision is aimed at reducing pressure in society. According to Volodymyr Chemerys, member of the MIA Public Council on Human Rights and Head of the “Respublica” Institute, they’ve decided to punish those responsible in some way in order to neutralize the wave of anger in society over Ihor Indylo’s death. “I’m sure that nobody will initiate criminal proceedings under a charge of homicide since that would create a precedent and be a blow to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Anatoly Mohylyov.”

New information from a report at http://kommersant.ua/doc.html?docId=1520778