Section: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (Ukraine)
Why Election Reform Should Be a Top Priority Now
Election reform in Ukraine is finally gaining some momentum. In December, parliament passed in the first reading draft law #3112-1, which creates an open list proportional election system and makes it easier for small parties to win seats in parliament. In addition, the president’s long-awaited list of candidates for the Central Election...
Closed trial for tortured Ukrainian accused of a ‘Crimea sabotage plot’ that never was
The ‘trial’ has begun of Andriy Zakhtei, one of the four Ukrainians seized by the FSB in Russian-occupied Crimea in August 2016 and accused of involvement in a supposed ‘Ukrainian Crimea saboteur plot’. It appears that the entire ‘trial’ will be held behind closed doors, enabling Russia’s FSB to conceal the lack of a...
Calls to declare Crimean political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh a Hero of Ukraine
It is people like Volodymyr Balukh, spending his second birthday in prison for his unwavering loyalty to Ukraine that give the lie to Russian propaganda about Crimea and give hope that it will return under Ukraine’s control. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Poroshenko accused of creating a weapon against critical NGOs, like in Russia & Kazakhstan
Ukrainian civic activists have expressed anger over public claims made by the President’s spokesperson that two contentious bills imposing extensive reporting requirements on NGOs, though not, for example, political parties, have been agreed with civic organizations …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Menacing attack on the son of a Crimean Tatar National Congress member
23-year-old Fakhri Muratov was dragged from his car in Russian-occupied Crimea on February 6 by men in masks and without any insignia. The men proceeded to beat him and then search his car, before driving off. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Yes, Ukraine’s Oligarchs Own the Airwaves, but Their Days Are Numbered
Oligarchs own the airwaves in Ukraine. More than 75 percent of Ukrainians regularly watch TV channels owned by Ukrainian oligarchs Viktor Pinchuk, Ihor Kolomoisky, Dmytro Firtash, and Rinat Akhmetov. But this is hardly news since TV serves as the primary source of information for 58 percent of Ukrainians. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human...
Far-right vigilantes imposing ‘Ukrainian order’ are strange partners for Ukraine’s National Police
So-called ‘National Militia Units’ are promising to ‘establish Ukrainian order” on the streets of Kyiv, seemingly in cooperation with Ukraine’s National Police. Assurances from the Interior Ministry cannot allay concerns about police collaboration with an organization which has on many occasions demonstrated intolerance towards...
Crimean journalist & politician jailed on ‘extortion’ charges for criticism of United Russia party
The ‘trial’ in Russian-occupied Crimea of journalist Alexei Nazimov and politician Pavel Stepanchenko is descending into farce, after never really making much sense. This has not prevented the two men being held in detention since October 2016, and the lack of any substance to the charges may well have no impact upon the eventual verdict....
Russia deploys armed police and dogs in new offensive against Crimea Solidarity
In the latest attack on the Crimea Solidarity civic initiative, a huge contingent of Russian OMON riot police have disrupted the monthly meeting held to discuss ways of helping political prisoners and their families. There was no real attempt to come up with a credible reason for what was clearly an attempt at intimidation – one that...
Anti-corruption groups question motives for prosecution of YouControl open access firm
A number of Ukrainian anti-corruption NGOs, including Transparency International in Ukraine, have expressed concern over the criminal proceedings against YouControl and its founder Serhiy Milman which they view as pressure on an open access firm providing invaluable assistance to anti-corruption campaigners and journalists. …read more...
