When prevented from flooding the event with propaganda, Russia simply blocked this vital platform for NGOs to provide information about mounting human rights violations in occupied Crimea, Donbas and other places

Russia and China were among 15 countries elected to the UN Human Rights Council on October 13, drawing sharp criticism from rights groups and the United States over their abysmal human rights records.

The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people has set dates for its March of Dignity against Violence and Occupation from mainland Ukraine to Russian-occupied Crimea and is calling on members of international organizations to join them in their non-violent return to their homeland

In Freedom House’s annual report for 2019, Crimea under Russian occupation is classified as Not Free, with a pitiful score of just 8/100.

Two Ukrainian human rights activists scheduled to speak at a high-level event marking five years of Russia’s occupation of Crimea were removed from the agenda after they sent details of their speeches

Today, all of Ukraine, together with the Crimean Tatar people, celebrates the 75th anniversary of the birth of Dzhemilev. State honors and awards without any doubt Mustafa deserved, but without official awards, Mustafa Abdul-Jamil Dzhemilev is a hero not only of the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian people, but also of all of Humanity.

Human rights activists have joined local residents of the township of Eskhar (Kharkiv oblast) in demanding a proper investigation into the death of 23-year-old activist Mykola Bychkho.  Those who knew him do not believe the police conclusion that Mykola committed suicide, and suspect that his death is linked with the active role he played in fighting corruption and pollution of the local reservoir.

Ukraine’s parliament risks doing serious harm to democracy in Ukraine by passing legislation that would add burdensome oversight of civil society organizations and undermine the effectiveness of the Ombudsman

Human rights activists are asking President Petro Poroshenko to veto a law passed with conscious fiddling and aimed at ensuring that the next Human Rights Ombudsman will be chosen according to political quotas

Ukraine’s legislators failed last week to undermine the vital post of Parliamentary Commissioner on Human Rights (Ombudsman), though not for want of trying. Civic organizations have again demanded that a proper competition be held, with a previously forgotten detail about the role of the Ombudsperson highlighting potentially disastrous ramifications for judicial reform if politicians choose according to party quotas.

The Reanimation Package of Reforms calls upon the Parliament of Ukraine to ensure an open and independent competition for the post of the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in compliance with internationally recognized standards of transparency, impartiality and involvement of civil society.

Emil Kurbedinov, a tireless advocate for all those facing politically motivated persecution in occupied Crimea, has become Front Line Defenders’ 2017 Laureate of the Human Rights Defenders at Risk Award. The honour is truly well-deserved, although Emil himself considers it recognition of the work done by all lawyers and human rights defenders in Crimea.

Three of Ukraine’s main parties have put forward ‘their own’ candidates for the now vacant post of Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsperson, and human rights groups are up in arms. There can be no political quotas or wheeling-dealing about a person appointed to protect all citizens’ rights in the country, they insist

Spare a thought - and some time for the initiative #NoEurovisionFor for the 44 Ukrainian political prisoners who cannot be at the Eurovision competition currently underway in Kyiv, nor even see it from their prisons in Russia, or Russian-occupied Crimea

Anton Naumlyuk, a Russian journalist who has fearlessly reported on numerous politically motivated prosecutions of Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainians in occupied Crimea and Russia, has become one of the laureates of the 2017 Free Media Awards

Russia’s attempts to distort the picture regarding its invasion and annexation of Crimea, and military engagement in Eastern Ukraine received a significant blow on Nov 14 in the hard-hitting conclusions published by the International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor

An address to a conference on the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group

Human rights activists have demanded a proper investigation into the attack on Oct 13 on Roman Likhachov, a lawyer, human rights activist and local politician in Chuhuiv (Kharkiv oblast). They believe that the assault was linked with his work representing clients fighting corrupt dealings and are concerned that the police appear to have taken no action.

According to Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, "the conflict in the east of Ukraine remains the cause of enormous human suffering and loss of life. It is high time to put an end to it and ensure the effective prosecution and sanctioning of those responsible for human rights violations”

The Reanimation Package of Reforms [RPR] has put together a list of key reforms . It states that despite huge resistance, Ukrainian reforms do produce tangible results and civil society will continue to push for these changes to become irreversible.