With only days remaining, and tension high, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People is urging members and observers of all diplomatic missions in Ukraine to come to Simferopol on 18 May, the 69th anniversary of the Deportation

They warn that similar events took place in Belarus in 2011 with these leading to the effective dissolution of an independent bar in the country

Oleksy Khmara from Transparency International in Ukraine believes the President’s "royalties" for non-existent publicaitons, as well as the entire business of Yanukovych’s elder son may be about trying to legalize income

In Ukraine’s judicial system an acquittal is seen as an extraordinary event which could cause the judge problems, while handing doen convictions is seen as carrying out their duties

The Mejlis is angered over the decision of the Crimean Parliament to to boycott the traditional celebration of Khydyrlez and organize their own festivities falling right on the days marking the 69th anniversary of the signing by Stalin of the decree ordering the Deportation of the Crimean Tatars

Andriy Bohdanovych was fined over the same peaceful action for which Maxim Panov was jailed for 7 days.

Those who orchestrated the recent hatchet-job on TVi probably counted on demoralization and division within the channel and beyond. They may have misfired

A psychoanalyst might assume that top Ukrainian officials were in a state of denial listening to their comments on the European Court of Human Rights judgment on Tymoshenko’s arrest, With the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement on the line, another diagnosis can be suggested for the distortions being heard

There have been clear messages from top-ranking EU representatives, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE], the US and others in the light of the European Court of Human Rights judgment on Yulia Tymoshenko’s arrest and pre-trial detention.

2012 saw a record 324 recorded violations of journalists’ rights, with this being the largest number over the last 10 years. Only some 5% of those responsible face any penalties

On 3 May 2013, Press Freedom Day, Ukraine came in for some well-earned and damning criticism and the US Helsinki Commission called for a proper investigation into the murder of Volodymyr Honcharenko, well-known environmentalist and editor of an environmental newspaper.

Mikhail Maglov from the Russian movement Solidarity is reported on Ukrainsky Tyzhden as saying that the abduction from Ukraine of leftwing activist Leonid Razvozzhaev made it clear that Russian opposition figures cannot feel safe in Ukraine.

Five months after the parliamentary elections resulted in the Central Election Commission stating that it could not determine the results in certain single-mandate electoral districts, the re-runs have still not been scheduled

According to a s Razumkov Centre survey, an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians (69.4%) consider that President Yanukovych exerts personal influence on the courts and the activities of the law enforcement bodies.in the cases of Yulia Tymoshenko and Yury Lutsenko.

The group of TVi journalists who on 23 April announced a strike over the apparent seizure of the last independent TV channel in Ukraine have now handed in their resignations.

The European Court of Human Rights:has found three violations of Article 5 with respect to the former Prime Minister’s detention. Significantly, as with Yury Lutsenko, it has also ruled that there was violation of Article 18 in conjunction with Article 5. The latter effectively acknowledges motives other than those legitimate for her detention

The following is an updated report on the latest of many moves which have undermined the will of the voters, with 40 members of the Cherkasy City Council voting to oust the elected Mayor, Serhiy Odarych

Reporters without Borders has condemned the sudden change in management at TVi, while the International Federation of Journalists has backed the strike by TVi staff and called for transparent and regulated media ownership in the country.

Human rights organizations have released their annual report on Human Rights in Healthcare – 2012. Its authors note that during the year the situation only improved in the sphere of palliative medicine

The Vinnytsa Regional Police believe they have identified three young people - two 14-year olds and one 18-year-old - responsible for smashing 66 graves in the old Jewish cemetery