Commissioner for Human Rights

Letter

Commissioner calls on Ukrainian authorities to revise the anti-corruption legislation that might negatively affect NGOs and journalists

In a letter addressed to the Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine published today, the Commissioner recommends removing the recently-enacted provisions in the legislation on corruption prevention requiring civil society representatives or other persons working on...

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Report on Ukraine

To prevent further human suffering in the east of Ukraine, the rule of law has to be re-established

“The conflict in the east of Ukraine remains the cause of enormous human suffering and loss of life. It is high time to put an end to it and ensure the effective prosecution and sanctioning of those responsible for human rights violations” said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner...

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Statement

Crimea: Commissioner urges a reversal of the ban on the Mejlis

I am very concerned about today’s court decision in Crimea to ban the Mejlis by declaring it to be an extremist organisation. As the highest representative body of the Crimean Tatars, the Mejlis is indissociable from their aspirations to reestablish themselves in the peninsula after decades of...

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Visit to Ukraine

Ukraine: accountability for serious human rights violations is key to reconciliation process

“The armed conflict in Ukraine has yielded many reports of serious human rights violations, including unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and torture on both sides of the contact line. The perpetrators of such grave crimes must be brought to account. The participation of victims of human...

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Visit report

Eastern Ukraine: urgent need to guarantee freedom of movement and humanitarian access

Read the report “The conflict in the east of Ukraine has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and severe hardship for ordinary people living in the conflict-affected areas. All measures must be taken to prevent further deaths and provide urgent assistance to meet the basic needs of the...

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Visit to Ukraine

Eastern Ukraine: freedom of movement is vital to preventing isolation and favouring reintegration

“The continuing armed conflict in eastern Ukraine has a devastating impact on the life of communities in the vicinity of the contact line”, stated the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, following his visit to Ukraine from 29 June to 3 July. “Facilities such as...

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Letter

The Commissioner calls on the Ukrainian Parliament to secure the independence of the Ombudsman institution

Today the Commissioner published a letter addressed to Mr Volodymyr Groysman, Chairperson of the Parliament of Ukraine, expressing his concerns about the legislative proposal aimed at annulling the appointment of the current Ombudsman of Ukraine, Ms Lutkovska. While drawing attention of the...

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Media freedom

Commissioner Muižnieks calls for unhindered broadcasting of ATR TV

Commissioner Muižnieks is concerned about reports that the Crimean Tatar ATR TV has been forced to stop broadcasting in Crimea. Current obstacles placed by the authorities to the work of ATR and other Crimean Tatar media outlets send a chilling message to media professionals working on the...

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Opinion editorial

Eastern Ukraine: the humanity behind the headlines

The government in Kyiv, aid organisations and the international community must work together to address the humanitarian crisis created by the fighting in the east.

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Eastern Ukraine: the humanity behind the headlines

Open Democracy, 17/12/2014 The government in Kyiv, aid organisations and the international community must work together to address the humanitarian crisis created by the fighting in the east. News reports from the conflict in eastern Ukraine are full of grim increases in the statistics of the...

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