Protests against impunity for Ihor Indylo’s killers

In Kyiv and Zhytomyr protests took place on Thursday evening over the announcement of a verdict in the case of the one police officer left facing charges over the death in police custody of young student Ihor Indylo

As reported earlier, the police officer Serhiy Prykhodko who detained Ihor received a conditional sentence – 5 years with a two year conditional period. Prykhodko was also prohibited from holding public office for two years. Throughout the trial he has continued to work in the same police force, and has over that period been promoted.

A week ago the only other officer, Serhiy Kovalenko who had been charged with not checking the grounds for detaining Ihor Indylo, was amnestied.

In Kyiv human rights, as well as left-wing, activists gathered on Maidan Nezalezhnosti [Independence Square] in the centre of Kyiv to express their outrage over the ruling which can only generate further abuse by the police.

The police patrolling Maidan threatened the protesters with a personal search or with being taken to the police station. They backed off, however, when the press approached.

Civic Activist Oleksandr Volodarsky writes that during the summer of 2010 there were protests by young people demanding a proper investigation of Ihor’s death, yet all the protests were effectively ignored. He says that they are now left with no other choice than to intensify their activities.

They pointed out that the accused men’s direct management had tried in every way to convince the court that the men were totally innocent. He believes that there were lies all the way to the top in order to protect subordinates.  Not only the direct culprits should be held to answer, but also those who protect them.

There was a protest also in Zhytomyr, and others are planned in Simferopo and other cities.

Ihor Indylo died in police custody on the night from 17 to 18 May 2010.  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.  After a report on the TV 1 + 1 Channel, the story became high-profile, and the police assertion Ihor fell in a state of inebriation was insultingly unconvincing.