U.S. calls for full inquiry into May 2, 2014 Odesa tragedy - State Department

Washington continues to urge the Ukrainian authorities to fully investigate the tragedy in the House of Trade Unions in Odesa in May 2014, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a briefing on Friday.

"We've been very clear since the immediate aftermath of that tragedy that we believe it should be promptly or fully investigated by the Ukrainian authorities. And we continue that, to urge that," he said when asked by a journalist about how long it will take to make tangible progress in the investigation into this day.

As reported, 48 people were killed and more than 200 were injured during the mass riots in Odesa on May 2, 2014. The majority of the victims were killed at Trade Unions House. Investigators established that the mass riots in Odesa had been organized and pre-planned.

Several Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have initiated a dozen criminal proceedings based on various facts of the events in Odesa on May 2, 2014. In particular, the Main Department of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry of the Odesa region opened a number of cases based on the reports of injuries and deaths of people during the clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists. Later these cases were passed on to the Main Investigation Department of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry of the Odesa region. Some of them have already been brought to court.

Moreover, the Prosecutor's Office of the Odesa region and the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office are investigating the actions of officials with the Main Department of Ukrainian Interior Ministry of the Odesa region and the Main Department of Ukrainian State Emergency Situations Service of the Odesa region during the events of May 2, 2014.

The Ukrainian Security Service of the Odesa region is also conducting a pre-trial investigation in at least one criminal case on the events of May 2, 2014.