Two Ukrainian nationals, one elderly and in poor health, have been held in Russian detention now for almost a year on mystery spying charges. The degree of secrecy, intimidation and insistence that both men only see lawyers provided by the investigators arouse serious concern that the men’s nationality is the main ‘incriminating’ factor.

With a Russian-based subsidiary of Siemens refusing to comment on serious allegations that it is seeking to bypass EU sanctions, a German-initiated inquiry seems called for. Germany could look to Latvia which is demonstrating its commitment to prosecuting those who breach sanctions.

Human rights activists call Ukraine’s derogation of certain international obligations, adopted in parliament’s May 21 resolution, logical in areas not under Ukrainian control, but slam other legal moves such as the possibility of 30 day detention without a court order

Failure to officially acknowledge what Ukrainians have been living with since the Spring of 2014 can only arouse distrust and questions about who benefits by not declaring a state of war in which Russia, not isolated ‘terrorists’, is the main aggressor.

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada voted on Dec 25, 2014 to revoke a previous decision dismissing Oleksandr Volkov from his post as Supreme Court judge, paving the way for his reinstatement as required by a pivotal ruling from the European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights has asked the Russian Government to submit its observations on the admissibility of two inter-State applications lodged by Ukraine - one over events in Crimea and Donbas; the other over three cases where orphans were abducted and taken across the border by armed militants

There is still no resolution in the absurd saga involving efforts by Polish volunteers to bring bulletproof vests and helmets to Ukraine to help save Ukrainian soldiers’ lives.

Several foreign sea and aircraft are still coming to the Crimea despite the ban and threat of sanctions following Russia’s annexation of the Crimea. A project entitled ‘Blacklist’ has been initiated as a response with online publication of a list of all those vessels and aircraft illegally getting to the peninsula’s ports.

In a truly absurd twist, Polish volunteers trying to bring bulletproof vests and helmets to Ukraine to help save Ukrainian soldiers’ lives are under investigation by a Polish prosecutor

Shocking allegations that a prisoner awarded large compensation by the Court in Strasbourg is being blackmailed and coerced into handing the money over to the prison administration

On 28 November the World Justice Project released its 2012 Rule of Law Index according to which Ukraine is in 87th place out of 97 countries

Statement by the spokespersons of High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Štefan Fьle on the changes to the Law of the Prosecutor’s office in Ukraine

Statement by Carl Bildt, Elmar Brok and Štefan Füle after the meeting with the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich

No doubt, many of you have heard suggestions that there should be a "pause" in our relationship. But do the people of Ukraine really need a "pause" on new opportunities? I wonder myself: who is pausing? Ukraine on values? Or the European Union on the promises we made?

During his visit to Kyiv on 10 September, Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe spoke of the need for “fresh look at the Ukrainian Criminal Code” in the light of the prosecution of Yulia Tymoshenko

Europe expects a concrete strategy to redress the effects of selective justice and prevent it from happening again, second free and fair elections and third the resumption of delayed reforms already agreed in the joint EU-Ukraine “Association Agenda”

Ministers from the 47-members of the Council of Europe are meeting in Brighton this week to discuss the future of the European Court of Human Rights. Let’s hope that amid the clamor of Britain’s own internal debates over the role of the court, the delegates can still hear the voice of those in countries such as Ukraine, who really do so often pin their last hopes for justice on the court in Strasbourg.

“The High Level Conference on the Future of the European Court of Human Rights” in Brighton next week would seem too high-level to hear the views of people and NGOs in countries like Ukraine. This is despite the clear threats which some of the proposed “reforms” pose

We urge the Ukrainian Delegation to the High Level Conference in Brighton to not support initiatives aimed at restricting the Court’s jurisdiction and reducing the right to individual application

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recalls that it has "invited the Committee to propose any further action as required by the situation, including with regard to the possible consideration of sanctions if the Assembly’s demands are not met”.