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today 03.09.2010 07:30
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Law enforcement agencies

Police continue to put pressure on Kharkiv civic organizations

02.09.10
The Kharkiv law enforcement bodies are putting pressure on activists from “Zeleny Front” [Green Front] and the civic group “Prorvyomsya!”, detaining activists handing out leaflets and other unlawful measures
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Children’s rights

MIA to consider a curfew for minors

02.09.10 | www.unian.net
The Ministry of Internal Affairs considers it expedient to introduce a curfew for minors at legislative level
detail | print version
Freedom of expression

‘Stop Censorship Statement on the Court ruling over broadcasting frequencies

02.09.10 | www.telekritika.ua
The Movement ‘Stop Censorship” believes that the Kyiv Administrative Court of Appeal may have been subjected to external pressure over its cancellation of the results of the TV broadcasting frequency tender
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Elections

Head of Central Election Commission also sceptical about new law on elections

02.09.10 | www.pravda.com.ua
Andriy Mahera believes that some of the provisions of the law, for example, regarding the election of half of the makeup of district and regional councils according to a proportional system, may be appealed in the Constitutional Court
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Freedom of expression

Ukraine: Censorship and Obstruction

01.09.10 | en.rsf.org
Reporters Without Borders has published the report of the fact-finding visit it made to Ukraine from 19 to 21 July. Entitled “Temptation to control,” it looks at the marked increase in press freedom violations since Viktor Yanukovych’s election as president in February
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Elections

Paradoxes of the New Law on the Local Elections

01.09.10 | Alexei Svyetkivov | www.cvu.org.ua
Committee of Voters of Ukraine experts believe that the new highly subjective procedure for formation of electoral commissions can place in question the equality of electoral rights of all participants during the local elections of 31 October 2010
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Freedom of expression

Morality Commission wants the power to close newspapers and journals

01.09.10 | www.telekritika.ua
According to the Head of the National Expert Commission for the Protection of Public Morality , Vasyl Kostytsky, administrative and civil-legal sanctions for violations of the Law on the Protection of Public Morality are not presently defined by the law. The Commission agreed that they were needed
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Privacy

SBU demands operator installs “bugs”

01.09.10 | www.interfax.com.ua
The mobile operator Intertelecom has stated that the Security Service [SBU] demanded that it install an automated system for intercepting information from communication channels
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News from the CIS countries

Moscow: Dozens Detained as EU Lawmakers Join Rally

31.08.10 | www.themoscowtimes.com
Police detained dozens of protesters attempting to rally late Tuesday on Victory Square, including rally leaders, but did not exert additional force despite a warning from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that the protesters deserved to be beaten
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Elections

Electoral Law Amendments for appearance only

31.08.10 | www.dw-world.de
The Verkhovna Rada on 30 August made amendments to the law on the local elections. The Committee of Voters of Ukraine approves of the amendments but calls them merely “changes for appearance to please the West”.
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Freedom of expression

Colleague of Missing Ukrainian Journalist slams Investigation

31.08.10 | www.rferl.org
Petro Matvienko, Deputy Chief Editor of the weekly "Novy Styl" has described the investigation into Vasyl Klymentyev’s disappearance a farce and believes investigators are not interested in finding him
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Prohibition of discrimination, Children’s rights

Ukrainian classes being cut in Donetsk region schools

31.08.10 | tsn.ua
According to Donetsk human rights campaigner, Maria Oliynyk, in the Donetsk region they have begun cutting classes where tuition is in Ukrainian and moving senior school students into a national minority school with Russian as the language of tuition
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Freedom of expression

Knife Attack on Editor of “Silske Zhyttya”

31.08.10 | www.wz.lviv.ua
The Editor of the Zhytomyr district newspaper “Silske Zhyttya” [“Rural Life”], Valery Ivamovsky is in hospital under police guard after receiving knife wounds in an assault on 27 August
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Freedom of expression

Germany concerned over media freedom in Ukraine

31.08.10 | Associated Press
Germany’s chancellor is urging Ukraine’s president to strengthen media freedoms in his country.
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Freedom of expression

TV Chornomorska asks Chancellor Merkel for help

31.08.10 | www.bbc.co.uk
They assert that the authorities are trying to make them choose between full subordination or closure of the channel
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Articles

The President’s Justice System

Halya Coynash
By signing the law on the judicial system on 27 July President Yanukovych ignored calls from a large number of civic organizations and individuals, and concern expressed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and showed just what the glossy words on his website are worth
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Censorship as it is

Victoria Syumar
The sliding back is happening in areas where change still recently seemed irreversible – freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and of the press. And although the authorities continue to reiterate their commitment to democracy, the reality stubbornly suggests that censorship is returning to Ukraine.
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Call on the President to veto the Law “On the Judicial System and Status of Judges”

If the law is not vetoed, citizens will receive a swift, but unfair justice system from dependent judges
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Creeping Soviet Rot

Halya Coynash
SBU treatment of Nico Lange, Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Kyiv and author of a critical article about the regime can only exacerbate fears about the direction the present regime is taking and especially the disturbingly Soviet role the Security Service is taking on
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Open Appeal over the lawless actions of the Kharkiv authorities and Police

It is vital that we demonstrate to the crushing of peaceful protest in Gorky Park has no justification in a democratic country and that such actions must not go unpunished. Please add your voice to our appeal to the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner
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Lawless start to Euro-2012 (updated)

Halya Coynash
Wanton destruction of century-old trees in Kharkiv’s Gorky Park and lawless violence apparently countenanced by both the city authorities and the police have outraged environmental, human rights and media organizations. Leading environmental groups have called on UEFA to exclude Kharkiv from the cities hosting Euro-2012. Football is quite simply not worth the price
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The Dismantling of Ukraine’s Democracy

Halya Coynash
The first steps of the illegitimate government whisked into power have demonstrated the old wisdom that when we close our eyes to contempt for rules of play, there is no end to further concessions and you can whistle for respect for the citizens of the country and for the rule of law
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