Crimes without a statute of limitations: Ukrainian courts continue to investigate murders in Bucha.

Image of the legal process of investigating murders in Bucha
Image of the legal process of investigating murders in Bucha

Ukrainian courts continue to investigate cases of murders and torture committed by Russians in the city of Bucha. Judge Mykhailo Odiaryk reported this in an interview with RBK-Ukraine.

'In fact, we have had so many cases that new ones come to court almost every week. This is a separate category of cases that are reviewed collectively, as they are related to the shootings of civilians by Russian military. They shot people who were driving or walking, regardless of white flags and signs 'children', - the judge said.

The judge noted that the investigation of cases related to Russian crimes in Bucha is complicated by the lack of communication with many victims or their relatives who have gone abroad. Finding these people and conducting re-interviews as part of the court process is very difficult.

'It becomes a problem when they cannot contact us. Then we have no additional evidence besides a few video frames from surveillance cameras, if they were still functioning, or recordings made by witnesses. At that Time, of course, no examinations were conducted. The people whom Russians shot remained in their cars. We were able to investigate these crimes only when details about the weapons used became known: automatic weapons, large-caliber weapons, or aviation. There were cases where airstrikes were carried out directly on columns, and many people died, including foreigners', - the judge explained.

Odiaryk also reported that there is at least one case in which a verdict has been issued. The victim was a man who was tortured by the occupiers for about 40 years.

'There were several cases when he was taken by Russians during the occupation, tortured, and sent back. This happened three times. He spoke about it unemotionally, without any emotional tension. But these stories provided us with key information', - the judge noted.

Courts in Ukraine continue to review cases of murders and torture by Russians in Bucha. Often, the difficulty lies in establishing contact with victims or witnesses who have gone abroad. However, violations of these cases have already been partially proven through video recordings and eyewitness testimonies. It is worth noting that the number of cases is constantly increasing, indicating large-scale criminal activities of the Russian military in Bucha.


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