A key European Union summit with six ex-Soviet states was marred by a diplomatic showdown Friday after EU leaders called on Ukraine and Belarus to improve their human rights record

With less than 6 months remaining for Ukraine to rectify systemic faults leading to abuse of remand in custody, the tale here of a Court of Appeal’s ruling finding detention unwarranted and the subsequent motion in the High Council of Justice to have all three judges dismissed, gives no grounds for optimism

In an interview the Ambassador spoke of "things which, from the point of view of many EU representatives seem dubious. For example, we are concerned by the situation with prosecutions of opposition politicians. Such practice can lead to the bad habit that those who lose the elections end up in prison"

ECHR Judge from Ukraine Anna Yudkivska speaks of the cases against Ukraine which are heard by the Court in Strasbourg as a reflection of the problem issues in the country itself. In the first place, she says, are problems relating to the penal system and pre-trial investigations

In 2010, Ukraine implemented only 8 out of 70 reform priorities outlined in the EU-Ukraine Association Agenda, the key document regulating EU-Ukraine relations

Ukraine faces seriously negative consequences from GRECO following the scrapping of all anti-corruption legislation, the Government Ombudsperson and Bureau on Anti-Corruption Policy, with no indication of when any alternative measures will be passed

At the same time Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice reports that Ukraine has been given a further 6 months to comply with the pilot judgment by introducing an effective means of defence against non-enforcement

Human rights violations in Ukraine and pressure on independent media outlets were the main topics of a press conference held on Monday in Brussels by UHHRU, the Vinnytsa Human Rights Group and the independent channel TVi

This is excellent news for Ukraine and we join all those who know and value Anna Yudkivska as a wonderful lawyer and human rights defender in wishing her well in her new position as judge to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Ukraine

The GRECO Joint First and Second Round Compliance Report on Ukraine found that Ukraine has fully implemented 8 recommendations, and 17 – partially

It includes reform of all stages of the criminal justice process and is based on guarantees of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Its implementation should undoubtedly lead to greater protection of the individual from the State

In an important judgment on 3 April in the case of Koretskyy and others v. Ukraine, the European Court of Human Rights found that Ukraine had violated Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights

Ukraine in 2007 had the third highest number of judgments, after Turkey and Russia, where at least one violation of the European Convention on Human Rights was found

The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to introduce a mediation procedure to be applied when examining criminal, civil and economic court cases

A group of scientists have addressed an appeal to Prime Minister Tymoshenko asking that a recent Cabinet of Ministers Resolution be revoked which unwarrantedly increases the lifelong payment for “the title” of current member or correspondent member of State academies.

On 27 December the Leninsky Court in Luhansk revoked as unlawful Item one in the decision of the Luhansk Regional Council from 25 April 2006 No. 2/13 which gave Russian regional language status in the Luhansk region

To avoid any suggestion here or in Strasbourg that witnesses of the violent events at the Izyaslav Penal Colony in January could be subjected to unreasonable disciplinary measures, KHPG will be providing all those involved with free legal aid

The Ukrainian authorities were found guilty of ill-treatment of Oleg Yakovenko though the overcrowded conditions he was held in over a considerable period, the failure to provide proper medical care, and the way he was treated when being transported between two detention centres

Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammerberg stresses the need to ensure that all aspects of the judiciary, including the Constitutional Court, at totally separated from politics

Ukrainians turn to Strasbourg because domestic courts all too often let them down. They seek justice at the European Court because Ukrainian politicians erode confidence in their own justice system. It is surely therefore not surprising that so many Ukrainians have emphatically registered their opposition to Serhiy Holovaty, or any other Ukrainian politician, becoming Judge of this most important court.