The latest March of those in dissent [Marsh niesoglashnykh] in Voronezh, has again led to arrests Garry Kasparov stresses that all such protest actions must receive support [and world attention! – PL] to demonstrate that the opposition is not just in Moscow and St Petersburg

The Human Rights Ombudsperson’s Secretariat has opened a 24-hour helpine to avert violations of the constitutional rights of citizens, including military” servicemen. A hot line is an excellent idea, provided that all constitutional rights are defended with equal vigilance. Whether this will be the case, remains to be seen – and monitored.

TV Channel 5 reported on Monday that the Prosecutor General’s press service had read its journalists a statement accusing them of biased coverage of the work of the Prosecutor General.

The court trial of Ulman and his subordinates, who admit to having killed six Chechen civilians in cold blood is to take place in the absence of three of the four defendants

336 out of the 600 delegates to the Congress of Democratic Forces held in Minsk at the weekend voted for a political council of forty and four co-chairs with equal rights. Alexander Milinkevich refused to join the council and believes collective leadership cannot work

The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Deputy Prosecutor has been instructed to look into the dismissal of Vadim Klymentyev which the Union of Journalists believes to be an attack on freedom of speech

The assiduous avoidance by prosecutor’s office, defendant and, unfortunately, even the judge of any mention of the key role played by the FSB simply strengthens the latter’s belief that it can act with impunity

Lviv City Council’s Executive Council will no longer give the go-ahead for any building designs which are not adapted for people with disabilities. It will also adopt measures for making public transport accessible and creating parking places for the disabled

The Belarusian opposition believe that around 900 people will attend a congress this weekend aimed at approving a programme for future action.

Sharp criticism of the actions of the Minister of Internal Affairs on 24 May over the dismissal of Sviatoslav Piskun. These could have led to bloodshed and demonstrate political engagement which is entirely unacceptable for any representatives of the enforcement agencies

Sharp criticism of the actions of the Minister of Internal Affairs on 24 May over the dismissal of Sviatoslav Piskun. These could have led to bloodshed and demonstrate political engagement which is entirely unacceptable for any representatives of the enforcement agencies

More worrying allegations from journalists of this newspaper of pressure from the Kyiv City State Administration, interference in editorial policy and the effective return of “temnyki”

Lawyer for the leader of the United Civil Front Garry Kasparov detained in Moscow during a peaceful march has filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights

Ukraine’s Fifth Periodic Report to the UN Committee against Torture was presented at a UN Session on 8 – 9 May. As reported here, the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group was also present, having submitted an Alternative Report.

Not surprisingly Ukraine came in for heavy criticism over its illegal deportation in February 2006 of 11 asylum seekers Other problems that AI focuses on include prisoners’ rights, the high prevalence of tuberculosis in Ukrainian penal institutions, the conditions in pre-trial detention units [SIZO] and the use of torture

By not allowing “Memorial” to appeal against the Russian Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office’s refusal to rehabilitate the victims of the Katyń Massacre, Russian courts are not only abetting a further crime against the victims of this atrocity, but are also in breach of the Russian Constitution

From 3-5 May 2007 the “Democratic Initiatives” Foundation surveyed 14 prominent Ukrainians regarding their views on how to overcome the political crisis in Ukraine. The specific questions were all open, with the respondents making their suggestions rather than assessing given variants.

President Yushchenko has issued a decree establishing the third Sunday in May as Remembrance Day for the Victims of Political Repression and instructing on measures for marking the seventieth anniversary of the Terror of 1937-1938

Supposedly all those who involved school children in the coalition’s political rallies have been punished. Judging by the Minister of Education’s comments today, however, one wonders what he thinks those who took children away from school in Chyhyryn were actually punished for

It is fitting that we should be united at this time in honouring every innocent victim of Soviet crimes. Yet while the truth remains sketchy, the graves hidden, and pitifully few details known about the true scale of the Terror and its victims, can we truly speak of honouring their memory?