On Wednesday, November 21, from 14.30 till 17.30, the Committee hearings will be conducted on the topic “Improvement of the state policy in the area of imposing sanctions on the individuals involved in illegal politically motivated persecution of the Ukrainian citizens”.

The event is organized by Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Ethnic Minorities and International Relations together with Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and Media Initiative for Human Rights.

Before suggesting the western countries to introduce sanctions against people involved in the politically motivated persecution of Ukrainian citizens in occupied Crimea and in Russia, Ukraine has to put in order its own sanctions policy. At present, it is not consistent. There are no clear criteria for entering the violators of human rights in the lists, as well as the appeal procedure for the persons mentioned in these lists is absent, not a single state body monitors the appearance of the new candidates for the lists (only separate investigators, prosecutors and judges in certain cases are under Ukrainian sanctions). Likewise, there is no legislative mechanism which would allow Ukraine to align its sanctions policy with partner countries. Until now the country has not developed a system of monitoring of already imposed sanctions – both within the country and at the international level. There is no responsibility for violation of the sanctions regime. According to the organizers of the hearings, all these aspects shall be reflected in the legislation, but in the first place shall be discussed among the representatives of state authorities, experts and public.

MPs, government officials, law enforcement bodies representatives, human rights organizations will take part in the discussion. The discussion will be also joined by the President of Ukrainian World Congress Eugene Czolij (Canada) and PEN-Center Program Coordinator on the issues of the freedom of speech in Eurasia Polina Kovaleva (USA). They will talk about the ways of developing the policy in such a way that Ukrainian sanctions against human rights violators are taken up by the Western countries.

The hearings will be conducted at the address: 18/2, Grushevskogo str., room 12

Contacts for registration: Panteleeva Oksana Oleksiivna, tel. 255-42-19, e-mail: [email protected]; Bereziuk Olena Pylypivna, tel. 255-40-26