On 2-3 September 2026, representatives of the State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Prosecutor General, together with Council of Europe experts, worked in Vinnytsia on the draft Standards for pre-trial investigation and prosecutorial guidance in criminal proceedings concerning allegations of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (the Standards).
The Standards are intended to serve as a practical tool for SBI investigators and prosecutors, considering the specific features of investigating this category of criminal proceedings and establishing consistent approaches to pre-trial investigation and prosecutorial supervision in line with national legislation and Council of Europe standards.
This work forms part of Ukraine’s broader efforts to address the systemic problem of torture and ill-treatment and to ensure effective investigations into such cases. The Strategy on Combating Torture in the Criminal Justice System, adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution in 2021, together with its implementation plan, sets out a number of systemic measures in this area.
The implementation of the Strategy envisages improving the effectiveness of pre-trial investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment, as well as cooperation between the authorities responsible for investigation and prosecutorial guidance. The development of practical standards for SBI investigators and prosecutors is one of the tools aimed at promoting the consistent application of these approaches in practice.
The execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgments in the “Kaverzin/Afanasyev/Belousov” group of cases, concerning torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officials and the lack of effective investigations into such allegations, remains under the enhanced supervision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In the context of this supervision, the Committee of Ministers has repeatedly emphasised the need to ensure effective investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment and to pursue a policy of “zero tolerance” towards such violations.
During the two-day working meeting, participants jointly reviewed the preliminary draft of the Standards, developed the overall concept of the document, and agreed on its structure and key substantive elements. Particular attention was paid to ensuring that the future document reflects the specific requirements of pre-trial investigation and prosecutorial guidance in criminal proceedings concerning allegations of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
The Council of Europe continues to provide expert support for the development of the Standards. This work is carried out under the Council of Europe projects “Strengthening Ukrainian Law Enforcement Agencies During War and Post-War Period ” and “Fostering Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System in Ukraine”, in cooperation with the State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Prosecutor General. The projects are implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.
