In the Kharkiv Youth Park vandals daubed the two monuments with paint

The author demonstrates that the appointment of a politically neutral human rights activist with high moral standards will lead to the de-politicization of the institute of the Verkhovna Rada Authorized Human Rights Representative increasing the level of trust in the government as a whole

The Russian Supreme Court has upheld the decision to close down the Russian – Chechen Friendship Society

The Public Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information has called on the Verkhovna Rada to reject the proposal from Party of the Regions State Deputy Hanna Herman that the media be obliged to publish the public addresses of the country’s leaders

The Committee on Foreign Affairs has recommended that the Verkhovna Rada rework various draft laws which it says run counter to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

Review of the last few months work of this important council and plans for the next months

The claimant, Oleksiy Svyetikov alleges that through his unlawful actions in postponing the vote for a new Ombudsperson, Oleksandr Moroz has deprived him of his constitutional right to approach the Human Rights Ombudsperson for protection of his rights

"The main thing is that in the school there is a memorial to Tykhy, a memory to the truth, memory to Ukraine, and that children see it every day. Those children are our future. Maybe their lives at least will be easier.”

It is cheering that the Judges of the Appeal Court treated the case in a principled manner and reminded the prosecutor’s office of their duty to observe all Ukrainian legislation and launch criminal investigations over cases of police abuse of their power

Yevhen Sverstyuk, President of the Ukrainian PEN club and laureate of the Taras Shevchenko State Prize, shares his thoughts about lessons of the past and the prospects for Ukraine’s development in 2007

The newspaper’s Chief Editor links this to the events of 27 December when the latest issue carrying an article about a criminal investigation against the City Mayor Ivan Kupichenko was withdrawn from sale in all Ukrainian Postal Service kiosks

Concern had been expressed by many members of the public, as well as human rights organizations, that while undoubtedly those planning to have children should undergo such check ups, any mandatory examination would violate people’s rights.

In his letter to Vladimir Putin, Elie Wiesel expresses serious concern over the rise in authoritarian trends in Russia reflected in the possible closure of the Russian – Chechen Friendship Society, the murder of Anna Politkovskaya and the worsening situation in Chechnya.

On 18 January 2003 Serhiy Naboka, journalist, poet, dissident, former political prisoner and human rights defender, died suddenly in Vinnytsa near the prison where he had once been held. He had been preparing material about the treatment of prisoners in Ukrainian penal institutions

The Commission supported an appeal from the regional branch of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine to create a regional coordination council for promoting and monitoring the transformation of state-owned media outlets

According to Freedom House’s report just published: " the only relatively bright spots were Ukraine, which enjoys a Free rating, and Georgia, a Partly Free country. On the negative side, Russia continued to serve as a model for authoritarian-minded leaders in the region and elsewhere, and the country experienced a modest decline as a result of its crackdown on non-governmental organizations"

Gulbakhor Turaeva witnessed the bloody events in Andijon in May 2005 and was one of the few who reported what she had seen to western correspondents

The Security Service of Ukraine [SBU] has established that the mass disturbances outside 197 Klochkivska St in Kharkiv on 16 December 2006 were planned and organized in advance

"Corruption is a major problem throughout the civil service, particularly for a European nation, and the bureaucracy’s inefficiency makes many commercial operations difficult.”

The coordinator of the Ukrainian National Environmental Centre believes that the plans will increase the risk of accidents, and comments that the government did not consult the public on this issue and is effectively satisfying the wishes of only “Energoatom” and American businesspeople.