Several civic organizations in the Kyiv region carrying out projects financed by IRF have been approached by the Security Service [SBU]. They have been asked for information about the aims and tasks of their projects, their financial component and assessment of their impact on the pre-election situation in Ukraine

On 1 September, Day of Knowledge and the first day of school in Ukraine, human rights activists prepared a major action entitled “Defend yourself!”. The action was forced on them by systematic human rights violations by the police

The Kharkiv law enforcement bodies are putting pressure on activists from “Zeleny Front” [Green Front] and the civic group “Prorvyomsya!”, detaining activists handing out leaflets and other unlawful measures

Ihor Indylo, a student who should have turned 20 the next day died in police custody in May. The investigators would now appear to be digging up all previous injuries to “explain” away his death

A 34-year-old man hanged himself after “a conversation” with the police in Sosynytsa, Chernihiv region. Two months on, the Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs [MIA] rejects any suggestion that torture was applied. Human rights groups have a different point of view

According to the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko’s Press Service, on Wednesday morning, a group of armed officers of the Security Service [SBU] wearing masks blocked the office of the Crimean branch of the Batkivshchyna Party

The author believes that the running after statistics is not helping to fight crime, in this case, drunken driving, and is leading to violations of human rights

The author stresses the need for the new MIA management to radically change their attitude to cooperation with the public and to reject assessment based on “crime solved” statistics which only lead to unlawful violence and pretence at fighting crime

Human rights groups estimate that over half a million Ukrainians suffer some form or torture or ill-treatment by the police each year. The Ministry of Internal Affairs acknowledges that there is a problem, but does not accept that it is so widespread

Their letter asserts that neither the police who beat and/or unlawfully detained defenders of Gorky Park nor the unidentified individuals in black with badges saying “Municipal Security” who also used force against peaceful protesters committed any offence.

Myroslav Marynovych has responded to a short article in the The Tablet where Jonathon Luxmore quotes the Bishop for Kharkiv and Zaporizhya Marian Buchek as saying that the Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Father Boris Gudziak had hyped up a "misunderstanding" in order to make himself seem a martyr

An extraordinary interview given by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Anatoly Mohylyov, has prompted a number of prominent human rights campaigners to put some hard-hitting questions to the leadership of the country.

Not only has the new management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs destroyed the structures which were combating human rights abuse within the police, but their spokesperson is brazenly denying it

In Kyiv on Friday morning, outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a Wall of Remembrance was erected in memory of those tortured to death by police. The organizers call on the MIA management to support the creation of effective mechanisms of public control over investigations into cases involving torture and ill-treatment

On Friday, 25 June, on the eve of International Day against Torture, a Wall of Remembrance will be erected outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs and 200 red carnations laid in memory of the number of victims of torture of whom human rights groups are aware.

There are more and more reports of detainees dying in police custody. Human rights activists warn that their relatives are unable to uphold their right to objective and independent investigation.

The Minister of Internal Affairs asserts that representatives of human rights organizations are systematically invited to meetings to meetings of the Ministry’s collegiate. Who these mysterious representatives are remains a mystery to us all

Not surprisingly since it has taken two prosecutor’s offices two years to investigate the death, the suspect now needs to be caught

The Kharkiv Regional Court of Appeal on 18 June 2010 found former police officer Timofeyev guilty of exceeding his official powers with the use of violence and degrading O. Skrypnyk.

In June there were three deaths in police stations, one after a suspect left the SIZO [remand unit], while one person ended up in emergency care after an encounter with the police