European Court of Human Rights Rules on Discrimination Against Roma in Ukraine Murders
"The European Court of Human Rights yesterday delivered a judgment finding discrimination in the case of Fedorchenko and Lozenko v Ukraine. Five Romani people, including three children, died after a violent arson attack, which took place on 28 October 2001 in the Kremenchug region of Ukraine. Three men deliberately set a family home on fire, breaking into the house to spray it with flammable liquid. They then barred the door of the house from outside and fled. Five members of the applicants’ family died from extensive burns and smoke inhalation, including children who were three, six and 15 years old." "Ten years after this case was filed, the ECtHR found that Ukraine had failed to meet the procedural requirements of Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (right to life) by failing to conduct an effective investigation into the deaths and in doing so also violated breached Article 14 (right to be free from discrimination)....The ERRC welcomes the judgment, which again draws attention to the widespread violence which Roma experience across Europe. Many states, including Ukraine, do not work enough to prevent, investigate or prosecute violent attacks against Roma."