Court accepts claim against Human Rights Ombudsperson

A Vinnytsa resident has taken the Human Rights Ombudsperson Nina Karpachova to court and won a historic victory for the area. The Vinnytsa District Administrative Court examined the suit brought by Serhiy Schepybin calling for her failure to act to be declared unlawful, and found in favour of the application.

The court ordered Karpachova to respond to letters from the applicant in August, then in September 2007.

In order to defend electoral rights, Serhiy Schepybin turned to the highest government bodies, including to the Ombudsperson. He received no answer.  Mr Schepybin believes that electoral rights are being usurped by political parties and crticizes National Deputies, the public and the media for their stubborn silence. He had called on the Ombudsperson to use her powers and make a submission to the Constitutional Court over declaring the law on National Deputies and local elections unconstitutional.

This judgment can provide an impetus for the beginning of discussion at national level about exercising electoral rights in Ukraine.