This man is dying now! And concrete actions have to be taken by international community in order to save him!

After new wave of unprecedented violence, when Ukrainians all over the world with new vigor urge West to impose personal sanctions against criminals in power, some people still have concerns about aggressive nationalists at pro-democratic Euromaydan. At least, I am often asked to comment this issue in Sweden. That is why I want to discuss why Euromaydan should not be perceived as riots of extremists.

The fact that right-wing groups are active there does not automatically mean that they are the majority. The nature of the protest movement is complicated and multilayer. Representatives of different social classes are there. You can meet doctors volunteering at self-organized medical units; students helping to build barricades; IT-engineers donating blood; winners of the beauty contest serving food; pensioners giving away their money for buying warm clothes; even CEOs changing their suits for camouflage on a backseats of their expensive cars after work… They are so different. Are they aggressive radical nationalists? I would rather say civilians who were dragged out from the comfort zone of their daily life by shocking injustice. Not denying that extreme right-wing groups are present at Euromaydan, I would like to emphasize that total percentage of them is relatively low. And exaggeration of their role is putting things upside down.

Furthermore, the current crisis in Ukraine should not be simplified to just a conflict of different political preferences, or of the East and the West. Such division does not reflect the real motivation of Euromaydan, which is a fight against the highly corrupted system, a struggle for social change.

Coming back to ”aggressive extremists” question, we need to look back on how the protest started. Initially, Euromaydan was a peaceful apolitical demonstration against presidential failure to sign association agreement with EU. Political symbolic appeared there only after some time, however, opposition politicians still do not have enough influence on self-organized ”maydanees”. At that time, people who participated in violent clashes with police were commonly called ”provocateurs” and suspected to be paid in order to escalate the situation. Nevertheless, public mood were gradually changing with first blood and first death, with massive arrests of random activists, with kidnapping practice and tortures, with parliament adopting anti-constitutional laws in anti-constitutional way, with first real bullets found at the battle field… People have become angry and desperate to act peacefully; they had no choice, but to organize self-defense units and ”stay until a victory”. Doctors, students, IT-engineers, CEOs, office clerks… People, who you can easily identify yourself with, are dying right now!

Of course, there is no just “black and white” situation. Every crime, no matter on which side of barricades it was committed, should be investigated and judged. It is crucial to stop anarchy and atmosphere of impunity. Undoubtedly, presence of international observers and human rights defenders is necessary in Ukraine now.

One more thing. I have been also asked recently, how do I expect police to act when being attacked. My answer is – according to the legislation. The tricky thing here is that ruling party, totally controlled by president, might change laws and regulations according to their today’s needs. Should we apply to international legislation than and at least to basic human rights principles? The argument that ”police and special forces just do their job” does not justify murders, human rights violations, tortures and sadist actions, kidnapping injured activists from hospitals, usage of forbidden weapon, snipers on roofs, open cooperation with paid criminals called “titushki” and so on. If that what their job is than I have nothing more to say.

Ukraine is on fire. Direct sanctions against people who understand only the language of money seem to be the only way to stop this madness.