Several foreign sea and aircraft are still coming to the Crimea despite the ban and threat of sanctions following Russia’s annexation of the Crimea. A project entitled ‘Blacklist’ has been initiated as a response with online publication of a list of all those vessels and aircraft illegally getting to the peninsula’s ports.

In a truly absurd twist, Polish volunteers trying to bring bulletproof vests and helmets to Ukraine to help save Ukrainian soldiers’ lives are under investigation by a Polish prosecutor

Shocking allegations that a prisoner awarded large compensation by the Court in Strasbourg is being blackmailed and coerced into handing the money over to the prison administration

On 28 November the World Justice Project released its 2012 Rule of Law Index according to which Ukraine is in 87th place out of 97 countries

Statement by the spokespersons of High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Štefan Fьle on the changes to the Law of the Prosecutor’s office in Ukraine

Statement by Carl Bildt, Elmar Brok and Štefan Füle after the meeting with the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich

No doubt, many of you have heard suggestions that there should be a "pause" in our relationship. But do the people of Ukraine really need a "pause" on new opportunities? I wonder myself: who is pausing? Ukraine on values? Or the European Union on the promises we made?

During his visit to Kyiv on 10 September, Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe spoke of the need for “fresh look at the Ukrainian Criminal Code” in the light of the prosecution of Yulia Tymoshenko

Europe expects a concrete strategy to redress the effects of selective justice and prevent it from happening again, second free and fair elections and third the resumption of delayed reforms already agreed in the joint EU-Ukraine “Association Agenda”

Ministers from the 47-members of the Council of Europe are meeting in Brighton this week to discuss the future of the European Court of Human Rights. Let’s hope that amid the clamor of Britain’s own internal debates over the role of the court, the delegates can still hear the voice of those in countries such as Ukraine, who really do so often pin their last hopes for justice on the court in Strasbourg.

“The High Level Conference on the Future of the European Court of Human Rights” in Brighton next week would seem too high-level to hear the views of people and NGOs in countries like Ukraine. This is despite the clear threats which some of the proposed “reforms” pose

We urge the Ukrainian Delegation to the High Level Conference in Brighton to not support initiatives aimed at restricting the Court’s jurisdiction and reducing the right to individual application

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recalls that it has "invited the Committee to propose any further action as required by the situation, including with regard to the possible consideration of sanctions if the Assembly’s demands are not met”.

“Systemic deficiencies in the functioning of the Ukrainian judicial system seriously hinder the enjoyment of human rights. The authorities should take resolute steps to better address these problems”

Marietta de Purba-Lundin, Co-Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Ukraine has explained the reasons for the clearly articulated warning of sanction if political prisoners are not freed

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe spelled out a series of steps to increase the independence of the judiciary, reduce excessive detention on remand, and end the existing bias in favour of the prosecution. It also again called for constitutional reform, and further changes in Ukraine’s election law.

Valeria Lutkovska, Government Representative on European Court of Human Rights matters speaks about the Judgement in the Case of Nechiporuk and Yonkalo v. Ukraine and the urgent need for an adequate means of reacting to cases of police torture

During this visit the main focus of discussions will be reform of the criminal justice system, the investigations concerning former government members, independence of the judiciary, the 2012 parliamentary elections and the opposition movements

The European Parliament deplores the conviction of Ukrainian former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko as a violation of human rights and an abuse of the judiciary designed to silence Ukraine’s leading opposition politician, in a resolution passed on Thursday.

There is no justification for the unlawful existence of this SIZO which, according to commitments made to the Council of Europe before Ukraine joined, was de jure closed in 2003