The judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) pending execution under ongoing supervision of the Committee of Ministers signalize to CoE member States about alarming, recurrent and deeply-rooted human rights problems. As a rule, tackling of these requires complex efforts, approaches and involvement of numerous stakeholders. For some judgements, decisive steps towards successful execution imply open, practical and nonabstract dialogue between key players on effectiveness of cooperation and coordination in the execution process. Going far beyond information gathering, systematization, sharing and reporting, it is of utmost importance for everyone involved to have a shaped vision of the state of affairs, necessary further steps and ways of taking them. It is as much important as the policy of shared, mutual responsibility of national institutions for ensuring tangible results.
“Ill-treatment by law-enforcement and lack of effective investigation into complaints is a problem that requires priority development of complex mechanism for its overcoming. It is by joining efforts and with support of international organizations only that the government authorities – State Bureau of Investigations, Office of the Prosecutor General, Ministry of Justice along with legislature and judiciary - can tackle it,” says Mr. Ivan Lishchyna, Ukrainian Government Agent.
Since 2013 numerous cases in the Kaverzin/Afanasyev/Belousov v. Ukraine groups related to torture and ill-treatment are under the Committee of Ministers’ examination. Today the “Supporting Institutions to Combat Ill-Treatment in Ukraine” and “Human Rights Compliant Criminal Justice System in Ukraine” projects with support from the Department for the Execution of Judgements of the ECtHR launched a series of meetings to streamline country's efforts in overcoming existing practical obstacles in execution of respective judgements. This initiative puts key actors - Office of the Prosecutor General, State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and Government Agent - at one table and helps them develop a roadmap with specific checkpoints that would strengthen coordination and effectiveness of actions of national duty bearers within the process.
Mr. Oleksandr Sokolov, Acting Director of the SBI: “The SBI plays a leading role in effective investigation of ill-treatment by law-enforcement. Respectively, big responsibility lies with us. How Ukraine keeps up with its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights as well depends on our work”.
Mr. Andrii Liubovych, Deputy Prosecutor General: “The Office of the Prosecutor General emphasizes that the cooperation with the European institutions in the field of human rights protection is one of its key areas of activity. Combating crimes related to human rights violations by law enforcement officials has been determined as one of the main priorities for the law enforcement agencies and prosecutor's offices within criminal policy of 2020”.
