Appeal to the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz
Dear Oleksandr Oleksandrovych,
On Friday 17 November the Verkhovna Rada suspended ahead of term Nina Karpachova’s position as Authorised Human Rights Representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the Human Rights Ombudsperson). 8 December was the last day of the twenty day period stipulated by Article 6 of the Law on the Human Rights Ombudsperson during which new candidates for the position of Human Rights Ombudsperson should be put forward by the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada or by at least 113 Verkhovna Rada Deputies. A candidate (or number of candidates) has not however been proposed.
We are forced to state with regret that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine does not always observe Ukrainian laws. We would also express to you the opinion of the “Third Sector” of Ukrainian society that since the protection of human rights cannot be politically determined, the position of Human Rights Ombudsperson must remain separate from political deals and factional quotas. In fact, we are convinced that this position should on the contrary be a kind of “quota” from civic society.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and you personally, as its Speaker, now have the opportunity to show the people of Ukraine and the world that Ukraine is truly aiming to create a democratic society with its integral priority of civil rights. You can demonstrate parliament’s wish to ensure the right of the public to have a real influence on the appointment of the Authorised Human Rights Representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
We therefore call upon you today, 12 December, to put forward for the consideration of the Verkhovna Rada as candidate for the position of Human Rights Ombudsperson the Head of the Board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Yevhen Zakharov, who has received the almost unanimous support of most organizations of Ukraine’s “Third Sector”.
We hope that you understand the motives which prompt us to put forward such a suggestion
Yours sincerely,
Oleksiy Svyetikov, Head of the Board
The Luhansk Regional Branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine