Ukraine communications: May 1, 2011 to February 28, 2017

UKRF This page summarizes cases raised with Ukraine by the Special Rapporteur between May 1, 2011, (when the Special Rapporteur took up his functions) and February 28, 2017 (the date of the last public release of communications). Communications are released to the public once per year. This page also contains observations on these communications and on responses received from Ukraine.

Communications and observations are divided into sections based upon which observation report they originally appeared.

Each communication is referenced as urgent appeal (UA), allegation letter (AL), joint urgent appeal (JUA) and joint allegation letter (JAL) – the hyperlinks lead to these documents. This is followed by the date the communication was issued, as well as the case number and the State reply (also hyperlinked if available).

Summaries and communications are published only in the language of submission (in the case of Ukraine, English).

First Report (May 1, 2011 to March 15, 2012)

None

Second Report (March 16, 2012 to February 28, 2013)

Joint urgent appeal, 21/12/2012. Case no. UKR 3/2012. State Reply: 18/03/2013. Alleged attack against LGBT rights defenders.

Observations
The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the Government of Ukraine for replying to the communication he sent during the reporting period.

The Special Rapporteur is concerned about allegations of restrictions, and of violence against individuals, holding minority views or beliefs, exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly. He urges urges urges urges the authorities to take positive measures to ensure individuals without discrimination of any kind can freely exercise their right to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly, and are not subject to, or threaten to be subject to, discrimination, threats or use of violence, harassment, persecution, intimidation or reprisals.

In relation to reported acts of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders who are members of associations, the Special Rapporteur refers to Human Rights Council resolution 21/16, and in particular operative paragraph 1 which “reminds States of their obligation to respect and fully protect the rights of all individuals to assemble peacefully and associate freely, online as well as offline, including in the context of elections, and including persons espousing minority or dissenting views or beliefs, human rights defenders, trade unionists and others, including migrants, seeking to exercise or to promote these rights” (emphasis added).

Third Report (March 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014)

Joint urgent appeal, 22/07/2013. Case no. UKR 2/2013. State reply: 05/09/2013. Alleged forced psychiatric treatment and confinement of human rights defender.
Joint urgent appeal, 10/12/2013. Case no. UKR 4/2013. State reply: 16/01/2014. Alleged use of excessive force against peaceful protestors, including 53 journalists, and disappearance of 15 individuals.
Joint urgent appeal, 20/02/2014. Case no. UKR 1/2014. State reply: none to date. Alleged excessive use of force against, killings, injuries, enforced disappearances of, and/or arbitrary arrests and detention of, largely peaceful protestors and journalists in the context of Euromaidan (“Independence Square”) protests.

Observations
The Special Rapporteur calls on the Government of Ukraine to shed light on all the concerns brought to the attention of its predecessor. In particular, a thorough and independent investigation into allegations of human rights violations, including acts of intimidations or harassments, committed against those exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, should be conducted; those responsible should be held accountable; and victims should be provided with full redress.