The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union stresses that the existence of general supervision by the Prosecutor’s Office is impeding other legal reforms, in particular reform of criminal court proceedings, a component of which is the new Criminal Procedure Code

Ales Bialiatski, imprisoned Head of the Viasna Human Rights Centre is 50 today and is spending his birthday in captivity. PLEASE JOIN in sending him birthday greetings

Russia’s FSB [Security Service] is proposing to introduce criminal liability not merely for divulging state secrets, but for receiving them

Memorial will not take part in action aimed at destroying Russian society and will not disseminate knowingly false information about itself by calling itself a foreign agent organization as the recent law passed in Russia demands

By bringing in a State Demographic Register, MPs want to have total biometric records on Ukrainians. Much more information will be included than Ukraine’s international commitments demand.

Deutsche Welle writes that the police are carrying out large-scale searches at business enterprises belonging to Arsen Avakov and other members of the opposition Batkivshchyna Party. The opposition calls this political persecution, which the authorities deny.

Noting a disturbingly low level of public confidence in political institutions, a National Democratic Institute pre-election assessment delegation urged action addressing problems, real and perceived, that threaten to undermine the integrity of the parliamentary elections

Amnesty International calls on the Ukrainian authorities not to extradite Ruslan Suleymanov to Uzbekistan where he would be at risk of torture and other grave human rights violations

Members of NGOs and other concerned members of the public have endorsed an open appeal to Ukraine’s politicians regarding legislation in parliament on peaceful assembly

At the Publishers’ Forum in Lviv Radio Svoboda presented a special award to the publishers of “The Ukrainian Helsinki Union in reminiscences and documents” for preserving Ukraine’s national memory and covering its human rights activities.

At the Publishers’ Forum in Lviv Radio Svoboda presented a special award to the publishers of “The Ukrainian Helsinki Union in reminiscences and documents” for preserving Ukraine’s national memory and covering its human rights activities.

They are demanding payment of their pensions as per the law on victims of the Chornobyl Disaster and withdrawal of the draft Social Code of Ukraine registered in parliament

Following all kinds of rumours and inaccuracies regarding the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union’s position, the Head of the Board and Executive Director have issued a statement outlining reasons for believing the draft laws on peaceful assembly are of vital importance

Around 100 former Chornobyl clean-up workers have set up a tent camp outside the Luhansk Regional State Administration. They are protesting against a reduction in social benefits.

The Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine (VAAD Ukraine) has issued a statement regarding the decision by the Kyiv –Mohyla Academy [NaUKMA to invite historian Serhiy Bilokin to give this year’s inaugural speech at the university

On Tuesday 28 August the European Court of Human Rights held a public hearing on the admissibility and merits in the case of Tymoshenko v. Ukraine concerning complaints related to the former Prime Minister and opposition leader’s detention

Zmitser Dashkevich, a prisoner of conscience in Belarus, is facing another year in prison for allegedly violating prison rules. He has spent almost his entire sentence in punishment cells (Please take part in Urgent Action appeals)

Interview with Dementiy Bily, Head of the Kherson Branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine regarding the situation with commissioned material in the Kherson regional media

Analysis by the Democratic Initiatives Foundations of the new language law’s social repercussions, and the impact on political parties’ ratings

Panayot Yevstafevich Zakharopulo’s strength -- as well as his reputation as the fearless protector of one of Kazakhstan’s most cherished nature preserves -- was not enough to prevent his murder in the country’s latest bizarre mass killing