26.01.2013

Stenches violate Ukrainians’ environmental rights

Unpleasant smells have become the norm for many people living in Ukraine. Yet most people don’t even suspect what danger polluted air presents. Headaches, disrupted liver, stomach and pancreas functions, other health issues can all be caused by ordinary stenches.

20.12.2012

Chornobyl Exclusion Zone – No money, no pay

Chornobyl workers are not being paid, while the enterprises within the Exclusion Zone are not getting all the money needed for basic needs. Trade union members say that this is because government decisions are not being implemented and because of a lack of public funding in general. Specialists stress that proper and timely funding for the Exclusion Zone is vital for safety at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and other structures. They hope, however, that the underfunding will not cause hazardous situations in the near future.

24.09.2012

Greenpeace and Bankwatch come out against Khmelnytski Nuclear Reactors

They are calling on President Yanukovych to veto a law passed in breach of Ukrainian legislation and its international commitments under the Espoo Convention.

15.06.2012

Money for drinking water used for officials’ mineral water?

According to UN statistics, almost 800 million people lack sufficient drinking water. It looks as though Ukrainians may not be far from that if the report just released by the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine is anything to go by.

18.05.2012

Legislative Plundering

A dangerous bill proposing to redistribute powers with respect to environmental protection could give corruption and plundering in Ukraine a whole new dimension

05.07.2011

Aarhus Convention: Ukraine still not complying

The fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters took place last week in Moldova. Official delegates and members of civic society from 43 countries gathered to discuss problems and achievements in implementing the Aarhus Convention in their countries and to agree future steps for spreading and consolidating Aarhus principles.

24.07.2010

Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor finds no infringements in beating peaceful protesters

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office has stated in their response to the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union that they found no infringements over the situation in Kharkiv’s Gorky Park The letter, signed by the Deputy Prosecutor O. Kuchar, asserts that neither the police who beat and/or unlawfully detained defenders of the Park nor the unidentified individuals in black with badges saying “Municipal Security” who also used force against peaceful protesters committed any offence.

22.06.2010

UEFA concerned over events around Gorky Park in Kharkiv

The Director of Euro 2012 Martin Callen has addressed an official letter to the Ukrainian Government asking it to investigate the situation which has arisen around Gorky Park in Kharkiv. The UNIAN Information Agency says that it has a copy of the letter, addressed to Deputy Prime Minister on Euro 2012 Issues Boris Kolesnikov.

21.06.2010

Kharkiv public hearings: the public can wait outside

Two events in the last few days should have been breaking news. For the first time since 2004 Amnesty International declared two Ukrainians nationals, sentenced by a domestic court over their peaceful protest in Kharkiv, prisoners of conscience. How many arrests, you wonder, are needed before they hit the headlines?

16.06.2010

Today it’s a Tree. Tomorrow – You! Support Kharkiv defenders of their rights and yours

It is vital that the authorities know that lawlessness will not go unnoticed or unpunished. Please help by showing solidarity on 19 June in Kharkiv if you can, or by informing others of what is happening!

07.06.2010

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 Commissar.

02.06.2010

Night Attack on Defenders of Gorky Park in Kharkiv

The police were there and watched in silence, not taking any measures. They later detained around 10 people, with the detentions being arbitrary. Among the tree defenders was a Deputy of the Regional Council, Ihor Poddubny, who had a deputy badge – he was shoved, abused and showered with foul language. The workmen, together with the men in black, walked straight at people with their saws turned on. The people did not move away from the trees but were pulled away with force. The remaining trees during the following two hours were cut down.

31.05.2010

Lawless start to Euro-2012

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.

27.05.2010

Stop Running down the Ministry for Environmental Protection!

In launching a public pressure campaign, environmental NGOs have sent an appeal to the heads of three branches of power in Ukraine calling on them to stop the decline of the Ministry for Environmental Protection. They point out that over the last 10 years there have been 7 different Ministers, and the ministry has faced restructuring on more than one occasion.

18.05.2010

How can you have a non-transparent National Environmental Policy?

Seven leading Ukrainian environmental organizations have addressed an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Head of the parliamentary profile committee and the Head of the EU Representative Office in Ukraine asking them to take the process for drawing up and passing a Strategy for National Environmental Policy under their personal control.

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