The Council of Europe and the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, a prominent Ukrainian non-governmental organisation with a long-standing record of defending human rights and promoting fundamental freedoms in Ukraine, joined forces to discuss security in pre-trial detention facilities during wartime and the persistent problem of excessive use and duration of pre-trial detention. This remains a structural challenge within Ukraine’s justice system and has been repeatedly addressed by the European Court of Human Rights in its judgments against Ukraine.
The event took place in Kyiv on 8 October 2026 and brought together representatives of state institutions, civil society and international organisations. The event opened with welcoming remarks by Stanislav Kravchenko, President of the Supreme Court, and Valentina Falсo, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, who emphasised the importance of protecting human rights when applying preventive measures and finding practical solutions under martial law.
During the event, shelling caused a power outage in the conference room. However, participants continued their work until the lunch break, demonstrating their strong commitment to addressing the issues under discussion and their readiness to work together towards solutions.
Participants discussed security in pre-trial detention facilities in light of regular shelling, as well as current practices in applying preventive measures involving deprivation of liberty.
The event featured a new study on the application of pre-trial detention, bail and house arrest, prepared with the support of the Council of Europe by Maryna Demura and Yuliia Lisova, national consultants and experts from the Ukrainian Bar Association. Participants were introduced to the methodology and recommendations of the first part of the study, which is still underway.
Khrystyna Fedunyshyn, a lawyer at the Council of Europe Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, presented the requirements of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers and the general measures needed to implement the Court’s judgments in the cases of Sukachov v. Ukraine and Ignatov v. Ukraine.
The next step will be to develop a roadmap based on the recommendations formulated and, together with the relevant state authorities, identify practical measures to address the issues discussed.
The Council of Europe will continue to support Ukraine in improving the application of preventive measures and ensuring the effective execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in line with European standards.
The event was organised by the Council of Europe, in partnership with the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, as part of the Council of Europe project “Fostering Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System in Ukraine – Phase II”, implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.
