The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a second Interim Resolution in the case of Gongadze v. Ukraine. In its judgment the European Court of Human Rights found a violation of Article 2 of the Convention on account of the authorities’ failure to protect the life of Georgy Gongadze, a journalist, who was killed in September 2000. The Court also found that the investigation carried out by the Ukrainian authorities into the disappearance and killing of Mr Gongadze was not effective.
The Committee noted with satisfaction the developments that had taken place in the investigation since the adoption of its first Interim Resolution in 2008. The Committee took note, in particular, of the ongoing phonoscope examination of the so-called Melnychenko recordings by the joint group of Ukrainian and foreign experts and of the re-arrest of the immediate superior of the former police officers convicted in 2008 for the murder of Mr Gongadze. The Committee also noted with satisfaction the promptness of certain investigative measures taken after this arrest.
In the light of these developments, the Committee strongly encouraged the Ukrainian authorities to enhance their efforts with a view to bringing to an end the ongoing investigation whilst bearing in mind the findings of the Court in this case.
Under the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Court's judgments require the adoption by the respondent states, under the Committee of Ministers' supervision, of all measures necessary to grant the applicants appropriate redress and to prevent new similar violations in the future. (press release)