12.12.2009

Thistle of the Year – 2009 dishonours announced

On 10 December, Human Rights Day, human rights activists announced the winners of the Anti-award “Thistle of the Year”, annually awarded to the worst human rights violators for the year. The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union noted that this year the number of proposals for (un)worthy candidates had broken all records. Ukrainians most often accused the authorities of lack of transparency and openness.

09.11.2009

Discrimination on language grounds?

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union has expressed disappointment and concern that none of its recommendations were heeded by the Verkhovna Rada which on 5 November passed a Law “On amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine on liability for crimes based on racial, ethnic or religious intolerance”.

22.10.2009

Concerns over the draft law “On legal aid”

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union has issued an appeal to the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliamentary committee on legal policy and the Cabinet of Ministers with regard to Draft Law No. 4406 “On legal aid”.

22.09.2009

UHHRU Legal Opinion on the Draft Law on Peaceful Assembly

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union has made the following analysis of the Draft Law No. 2450 from 6 May 2008 “On the procedure for organizing and holding peaceful gatherings”.

18.08.2009

Changes in Penal Department management should be a step towards reform of the system

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union is calling on the Government to pay heed to human rights organizations and public opinion in appointing a new Head of the Penal System to enable vitally needed reform

15.06.2009

UHHRU Appeal over the latest violation of refugee rights

Documents received recently by the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union indicate that in July 2008 Ukraine violated one of the fundamental principles regarding the protection of refugees’ rights, the principle of confidentiality, by passing information contained in refugees’ files to the country of their origin. On 28 March 2006 Kazakhstan nationals Z. Baisakov, Y. Baisakov, S. Gorbenko and A. Zhekebaev were granted refugee status in Ukraine. In 2007 the Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office carried out a check and found that the decision to grant them refugee status had been lawful.

16.04.2009

UHHRU Open Appeal against collection of biometric data

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union is calling on the President to veto a law just passed in great haste introducing a system which violates human rights, will waste an extortionate amount of money and achieve nothing,

06.02.2009

UHHRU Appeal on behalf of prisoners

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union has addressed an appeal to President Yushchenko, Prime Minister Tymoshenko and the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn. It calls on them to use their legislative initiative to prepare and submit a draft law to protect the rights of prisoners to receive parcels without restriction.

13.06.2008

Cultural organizations can’t compete

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union has expressed concerned over the increasing trend by bodies of local self-government to take premises away from organizations working in human rights defence and the cultural sphere, these including libraries, houses cultural centres, bookshops, galleries and civic organizations.

11.06.2008

Open appeal from the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union on Ukraine’s failure to comply with the Aarhus Convention

To the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention “On access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters" (Aarhus Convention)

26.05.2008

UHHRU expresses concern over assault on human rights defender

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union has issued a statement over the assault on the Coordinator of the Vinnytsa Human Rights Group, Dmytro Groisman, during the night from 23 to 24 May.

28.12.2007

Ten steps aimed at improving the human rights situation in Ukraine

An open letter of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union to the Prime Minister and honourable members of the Cabinet of Ministers

28.09.2007

UHHRU calls on the President to not support the present Strategy Plan for Penal System Reforms

The Strategy Plan for Reforms to the State Penal Service has many failings most linked with the fact that it has nothing to do with reform, and cannot have while those with an interest in maintaining the old are entrusted with the task of creating something new

19.06.2007

Torture and Police Violence in Ukraine Must End - joined press relis IHF and UHHRU

Vienna/Kyiv, 19 June 2007: On the occasion of the meeting in Kyiv of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights’ (IHF) Executive Committee, the IHF and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) drew attention to the long-standing human rights problems of torture, ill-treatment, and police violence in Ukraine.

28.12.2006

UHHRU call for the President’s veto on a law which could endanger property rights

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union is convinced that the law fails to provide sufficient guarantees for citizens’ rights to property and housing, and that it also has a number of shortcomings which will make it difficult to apply

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