Oleh Rybachuk, leader of the civic movement CHESNO, believes that in the near future there may be a wide-scale campaign aimed at discrediting civic activists and journalists
The law, passed with a large majority, removes two major restrictions: civic organizations may now protect anybody’s interests, not only their members, while the restrictions on geography have gone
Oleksy Svyetikov from the Luhansk Regional Branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine reports a worrying increase in interference as well as downright unlawful behaviour by Luhansk police officers with respect to civic activists
01.02.12
Volodymyr Yavorsky has contributed enormously to the development and work of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and we hope that he will continue to do so in his capacity as member of the Board. He will be much missed
26.01.12
At a general meeting of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union on 25 January, Yevhen Zakharov was elected Head of the Board, while Arkady Bushchenko leaves this post to become Executive Director
This year’s report by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights on persecution of human rights defenders and civic activists throughout the world has an entry on Ukraine
The EU is continuing to seek levers of influence on Ukraine’s leaders, while in Brussels support is being increased for NGOs in the EU’s East European neighbours who can put pressure on the authorities, demanding democratic reforms
Each year more and more Ukrainians say that the country needs active NGOs. If in 2005 such a view was expressed by 41 percent of respondents in all regions of the country, now the figure has almost doubled (76 percent).
According to the Director of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Iryna Bekeshkina, charities helping the disabled, the elderly, etc are supported by local business. The latter, however, would be frightened to support organizations monitoring the activities of the authorities
Amnesty International at 50: Global call to action aims to tip scales against repression and injustice. Events to mark the 50th anniversary are taking place in almost 60 countries
12.05.11
This was the key question at a press conference called in connection with recent proposals from the Party of the Regions to ban financing of NGOs from abroad, as well as with the possible consideration by parliament on 12 May of the draft Law on Civic Organizations (No. 7262-1).
The Party of the Regions wants to draw up a draft bill aimed at imposing control over the funding of civic organizations in Ukraine. Analysts warn that such a law would put an end to any chance of Ukraine joining the EU
Statement in response to the extraordinary suggestion made by the Head of the Party of the Regions faction in parliament, O. Yefremov that a scenario similar to that in Northern Africa is being set in motion in Ukraine on money from IRF’s founder, George Soros
"Despite some improvements, Ukraine’s overall human rights record remains poor, with torture and ill-treatment in detention still commonplace. Hostility to asylum seekers, hate attacks on ethnic minorities, and Ukraine’s staggering HIV/AIDS epidemic are problems that the government still fails to address effectively"
The laureates for this anything but prestigious award to the worst human rights violators in 2009 include the Supreme Court, the Minister and Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Expert Commission for the Protection of Public Morality
The European Parliament’s 2009 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to Russian civil rights defence organization Memorial, and their three representatives Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, as well as all other human rights defenders in Russia
05.10.09
They point out non-fulfilment of paragraph one of the Government’s Programme regarding adoption of a new version of the Law “On citizens’ associations” and the blocking of this process by deputies from the BYUT faction
24.09.09
This extraordinary behaviour is in contravention both of parliamentary regulations and of Ukraine’s international commitments
04.08.09
On 9 August over 190 children aged 9-17 from 17 national communities in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova will take part in the opening of the International Inter-ethnic Children’s Camp “Sources of Tolerance”
07.07.09
Volodymyr Yavorsky, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, answers questions regarding the human rights situation in 2008
