Ukrainian parliament adopts statement on seventh anniversary of Revolution of Dignity

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has approved a statement in connection with the seventh anniversary of the beginning of Euromaidan protests and the Revolution of Dignity.

A total of 295 MPs voted for a respective draft resolution, No. 2739, at a parliament meeting on Wednesday, February 17, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The approval of the statement is necessary to provide a political assessment of Euromaidan events, the Revolution of Dignity, and their consequences. In particular, an assessment is made of the actions of Viktor Yanukovych, Berkut police units and other individuals and organizations that committed illegal actions," the explanatory note reads.

According to the statement, the Revolution of Dignity is a key moment of Ukrainian state-building and an expression of the national idea of freedom.

The document also states that the investigation into crimes committed during the Revolution of Dignity must be completed effectively, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice in a fair and impartial trial.

The Verkhovna Rada stressed that the acts of humiliation of human dignity that took place on Independence Square in Kyiv, as well as in other parts of the Ukrainian capital and various cities across the country, should not be repeated.

"Ukraine has paid too high a price for liberation from dictatorship and for its civilized choice to be part of Europe. Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred – Ukrainians and foreigners – have given their lives during the Revolution of Dignity, defending the ideals of democracy, human rights and freedoms, and the European future of Ukraine. Memory of their heroic deeds is part of the history of nation-building," the statement reads.

It says that the usurpation of power by one of its branches, a party or an individual official is a completely unacceptable phenomenon, which causes long-term serious consequences.

The parliament also said that the tragic events of the Revolution of Dignity, the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as Russia's ongoing armed aggression and its occupation of certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, happened not least as a result of Yanukovych's policies and the criminal regime he formed, which was supported by the Russian Federation and acted against the national interests of Ukraine.

The statement condemns the activities of individual Berkut employees, police officers, servicemen of the internal troops, bailiffs, prosecutors, judges and other officials during the Revolution of Dignity as causing irreparable damage to the state and society.

The Verkhovna Rada emphasized that peaceful assemblies are an extremely effective tool for public control over the institutions of public power, and the safety of participants in peaceful assemblies of all kinds and forms, as well as their right to express their views, must be protected by the state.

In its statement, the Verkhovna Rada said that European values for which the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred have given their lives are dignity, democracy, equality and the rule of law, which are necessary for the proper functioning of society.

The resolution is expected to draw the attention of Ukrainian society and the international community to Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity.

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