Volodymyr Balukh has declared an indefinite hunger strike in protest at the three and a half year sentence on grossly falsified charges imposed by a ‘court’ in Russian-occupied Crimea

Civil society in Ukraine and the international community must continue to emphasize that the current law and the pending legislation could directly undermine freedom of association and ultimately Ukrainian democracy.

Photographs from Crimean polling stations on 18 March do not tally with official reports, and certainly the vast majority of Crimean Tatars seem to have boycotted the event. This is despite four years bitter experience of the repressive measures they are likely to face for their courageous resistance.

What will the OSCE say at their 19 March press conference in Moscow after agreeing to observe a ‘presidential election’ in which the main opposition candidate had been prevented from running, and which was being illegally held in occupied Crimea?.

What will the OSCE say at their 19 March press conference in Moscow after agreeing to observe a ‘presidential election’ in which the main opposition candidate had been prevented from running, and which was being illegally held in occupied Crimea?.

As expected, Russia has invited unwavering supporters from different countries to act as supposed ‘observers’ of the presidential elections which it is illegally holding in occupied Crimea.

As expected, Russia has invited unwavering supporters from different countries to act as supposed ‘observers’ of the presidential elections which it is illegally holding in occupied Crimea.

“The Ombudsman is not a commodity and parliament is not a bazaar!”. That was the message from Ukrainian rights activists this week, and one that Ukraine’s parliamentarians have now ignored. On March 15, a politician was elected to the post by her colleagues through procedure in open breach of the Law on the Human Rights Ombudsperson

“If I am killed or kidnapped or extradited to Azerbaijan in the near future, all responsibility lies with the Ukrainian authorities”.   Azerbaijani journalist Fikret Huseynli had serious grounds for making this sombre warning, and for asking bitterly how he has deserved such appalling treatment from Ukraine.  He is not the only journalist whose freedom, or life, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General is endangering for reasons so unclear that it is hard to exclude the possibility of direct collusion with the Azerbaijan authorities.

“If I am killed or kidnapped or extradited to Azerbaijan in the near future, all responsibility lies with the Ukrainian authorities”.   Azerbaijani journalist Fikret Huseynli had serious grounds for making this sombre warning, and for asking bitterly how he has deserved such appalling treatment from Ukraine.  He is not the only journalist whose freedom, or life, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General is endangering for reasons so unclear that it is hard to exclude the possibility of direct collusion with the Azerbaijan authorities.

If in Soviet times, it was the BBC and other western broadcasters whose radio stations were jammed, it is now Ukrainian Internet sites that Russia is either totally or partially blocking in occupied Crimea

If in Soviet times, it was the BBC and other western broadcasters whose radio stations were jammed, it is now Ukrainian Internet sites that Russia is either totally or partially blocking in occupied Crimea

Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv on March 13 to remember the first victim of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine in Donbas, and all other civilians killed during the senseless conflict.  Many of those present had themselves been forced into exile or fled for their lives after Russian and Russian-backed militants seized control in March – April 2014.   

Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv on March 13 to remember the first victim of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine in Donbas, and all other civilians killed during the senseless conflict.  Many of those present had themselves been forced into exile or fled for their lives after Russian and Russian-backed militants seized control in March – April 2014.   

There has been a significant fall in the number of deaths from cardio-vascular illness, tuberculosis and cancer in Russia.  That’s if you believe the Potemkin statistics, and don’t ask too many questions about the increase in deaths from a number of other illnesses, as well as from ‘unknown causes’ since one of Putin’s ‘May decrees’ back in 2012. 

Ukraine’s far-right ‘C14’ organization is trying to entice ‘donors’ by offering to make trouble for the latter’s ‘enemies’.  The advertisement on their Facebook page may not break the law, but is certainly alarming from an organization which at least one Kyiv local authority is using to help ‘keep the peace’.

Ukraine’s far-right ‘C14’ organization is trying to entice ‘donors’ by offering to make trouble for the latter’s ‘enemies’.  The advertisement on their Facebook page may not break the law, but is certainly alarming from an organization which at least one Kyiv local authority is using to help ‘keep the peace’.

Nobody seriously doubts the outcome of Russia’s presidential ‘elections’ on 18 March, but Vladimir Putin does not want a pitiful turnout to mar the beginning of his fourth official term in office.  Just like in Soviet times, all efforts are underway to persuade or force people to give the right veneer to this electoral farce, especially in occupied Crimea where Russia is holding the elections illegally.

Nobody seriously doubts the outcome of Russia’s presidential ‘elections’ on 18 March, but Vladimir Putin does not want a pitiful turnout to mar the beginning of his fourth official term in office.  Just like in Soviet times, all efforts are underway to persuade or force people to give the right veneer to this electoral farce, especially in occupied Crimea where Russia is holding the elections illegally.

On February 28, Ukraine’s Constitutional Court ruled the bill "On the principles of the state language policy” unconstitutional and rendered it invalid. The law in question, adopted back in 2012 and known as the “Kivalov-Kolesnichenko language law,” granted Russian the status of a “regional language.”