The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) starts to gather information on violations of the right to peaceful assembly across Ukraine. Please, inform us about all court rulings that prohibit or limit peaceful assemblies and cases of physical violence by police against civic activists. Please, send your information to office @ helsinki.org. ua or leave it on the UHHRU Facebook page.

UHHRU also informs that in case of such violations civic activists may contact our legal consulting offices in 12 Ukrainian oblasts to get legal advice. Addresses of our legal consulting offices are available HERE

As of today the following information is available:

Kyiv

According to the information posted by Serhiy Melnichenko, Head of the Coalition of the Orange Revolution Participants, on his Facebook page, on November 21, Kyiv Administrative Court ruled to restrict the holding of assemblies at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square.

Serhiy Melnichenko wrote: “On November 21, 2013 Kyiv State Administration has filed a lawsuit in Kyiv Administrative Court seeking restriction of the right to peaceful assembly for the Coalition of the Orange Revolution Participants and other groups. The court has ruled in favor of the plaintiff. According to the court’s verdict, the Coalition of the Orange Revolution Participants and other groups may not install tents, kiosks, sheds, including temporary and mobile ones, from November 22, 2013 through January 7, 2014 at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square, Khreschatyk Street and the European Square during peaceful rallies.”

Melnichenko also clarified: “As the court’s ruling, aside from the defendant, has restricted the right to peaceful assembly for other groups as well, everyone is now expected to comply with this court decision. Therefore, protest rallies at the Euro-Maidan are now also restricted by the court”. http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2013/11/22/7002701/

Kharkiv

On November 22, 2013 the Kharkiv Mayor has issued an order that prohibits holding mass events on the pretext of an increase in incidence of flu and acute respiratory infections. http://www.city.kharkov.ua/ru/news/u-harkovi-zaboroneni-masovi-zahodi-22144.html

Odesa

The ruling of the Odesa Administrative Court issued at the night of November 23 prohibited Odesa Oblast Organization of the UDAR Party to hold protest rallies at Dumska Square and near the City Council from November 23 through November 31. http://tyzhden.ua/News/94668

http://maidanua.org/2013/11/vlada-zvirishaje-v-odesi-vnochi-syloyu-znesly-nametove-mistechko-evromajdanu/

Lviv

On November 23, 2013 Lviv Administrative Court made a ruling prohibiting installation of tents in the city of Lviv until November 29, 2013. Rally organizers posted this information on their Facebook page. According to this court ruling, it is prohibited to make installations at four city squares at the addresses: 1, Svobody avenue; 18, Vynnychenka St.; 1, Universytetska St.; 1, Rynok Square. http://tyzhden.ua/News/94655

Cherkasy

In the evening of November 23, 2013 Cherkasy police broke up local Euro-Maidan rally. Cashes happened between police and civic activists, who wanted to put up tents near the Cherkasy Oblast State Administration.

http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/u-cherkasah-pravoohoronci-znesli-namet-aktivistiv-ta-rozignali-yevromaydan-pid-oblderzhadministraciyeyu-321734.html

Mykolaiv

On November 24, 2013 Mykokaiv Oblast Administrative Court sustained the case of the Executive Committee of Mykokaiv City Council and prohibited holding any rallies in the city center, starting from today through January 7, 2014. http://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/politics/3270881-u-mykolaievi-sud-zaboronyv-provedennia-bud-yakykh-mitynhiv-u-tsentri-mista-do-7-sichnia

Chernihiv

On November 25, 2013 Chernihiv police broke up local Euro-Maidan rally. The Democratic Alliance has disseminated this information. Activists have twitted: “Right now Euro-Maidan rally in Chernihiv is being dispersed. Police officers beat and twist arms even to girls. "http://24tv.ua/home/showSingleNews.do?yevromaydan_u_chernigovi_militsiya_rozignala_mitinguvalnikiv&objectId=386230

Information about physical violence

Kyiv: Officers of the Berkut riot police unit pulled out of the car the son of Tatiana Sliuz, a Batkivschyna party MP, and several other young men and without any explanation took them to the Pechersk district police station. At his Facebook page Volodymyr Ariev, another Batkivschyna MP, informed that police officers arrested several protesters on Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square in Kyiv, including the son of Tatiana Sliuz, a Batkivschyna MP. He wrote: “Police started illegally arresting people at Euro-Maidan. An our ago officers of the Berkut riot police unit, using brutal physical force, pulled out of the car the son of Tatiana Sliuz, a Batkivschyna MP, and several other young men. It happened in the broad day light and without any explanation!” According to Mr. Ariev, detainees were taken to the Pechersk district police station. One of them was severely beaten and taken by an ambulance. Other young men are now kept at the police station’s assembly hall without giving any reasons. http://dt.ua/UKRAINE/u-batkivschini-zayavili-pro-pershe-zatrimannya-aktivistiv-kiyivskogo-yevromaydanu-132568_.html

Kyiv: In Kyiv, officers of Berkut riot police severely beat and detained seven young men from Lviv, who were coming back home by car from Euro-Maidan. Yuri Martynenko, a human rights activist, told the INSIDER that the incident took place at 12:30 on November 25, 2013 on Peremohy Avenue. According to Mr. Martynenko, seven young men from Lviv, including students and MP aids, came to Kyiv by a private minivan in order to join the Euro-Maidan rally. The Lawyer said: “They stayed in the capital for three days and decided to go home. On their way home they stopped at Peremohy Avenue to have some coffee. While their vehicle was parked near the sidewalk, two vans with tinted windows arrived. Officers of the Berkut rapidly got out of the van and started beating the young men severely. They smashed a jaw, broke some ribs and possibly a leg to one of the young men. Six others have been detained and brought to the Pechersk district police station. One man was taken by an ambulance.” According to Mr. Martynenko, nobody gave the young men any reason why they had been detained. http://www.theinsider.com.ua/politics/52935439ea0c1/

Kyiv: Tonight as a result of clashes between Euro-Maidan participants and Berkut officers, Andriy Parubiy, a Batkivschyna MP had brain concussion and a finger fracture. http://ua.comments.ua/politics/214917-nardepu-na-yevromaydani-zlamali-paltsi-u.html

Kyiv: Berkut officers attacked Ivan Nakonechnyi, cameraman of the 5^th TV channel. In the evening of November 24, 2013 he tried to capture a video of a Berkut unit stationed next to the main entrance of the Cabinet of Ministers. The cameraman says: “I switched on the light and began shooting. After the first shot I got a sight of Berkut officers next to me. Then two or four of them picked me by the arms and dragged aside towards the fence." The journalist said that Berkut officers disregarded his complaints and the explanation he gave them stating that he was shooting for the media. Ivan Nakonechnyi says: “I had a cameraman vest on me. I shouted that I was working for the media and that I was ready to show them my license. However, people who attacked me paid no attention to that. I tried to capture this situation on video. Meanwhile, one of the Berkut officers covered the camera lens and another one hit me in the head.

Kyiv: Andriy Illenko said: “During today’s clashes with Berkut near the Cabinet of Ministers the riot police officers have broken Oleksandr Svyrydovsky’s arm (a member of Svoboda Party). Oleksandr was subsequently detained by the police and later he was taken by ambulance.”

The story ended by an LPL lighting device falling down on the pavement. According to the cameraman, the Berkut riot police tried to throw him across the fence into the crowd. «I took a tight grip on one of them and demanded to find and to give back my LPL device», – says Ivan Nakonechny. http://www.telekritika.ua/profesija/2013-11-25/87828

Mykolaiv: In two assaults the police have taken down the tents belonging to the participants of the rally in Mykolaiv protesting against the government’s refusal to sign the Association Agreement with the EU. Three rally participants were injured during the first assault. According to the Svoboda Party, the health condition of the Mykolaiv Oblast party organization head Demyd Hubsky has deteriorated. During the clashes, D.Hubsky was hit on his head and was subsequently diagnosed with temple contusion and suspected cerebral concussion. http://news.bigmir.net/ukraine/775975-Miliciya-znesla-nameti-na-Evromaidani-v-Mikolaevi-e-postrajdali—ZMI

Odesa: The Democratic Alliance leader Oleksii Chorny was put on a prison truck together with two of his associates; they have been beaten on their way to the district police station, when Oleksii attempted to capture his arrest on his cell phone camera. http://ua.comments.ua/politics/214921-militsiya-pobila-zatrimanogo-aktivista.html