human rights and governance work. Police Kony, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) investigations into most of these break-ins leader, and three LRA commanders. The men remained pending. were still at large at the end of the year. On the night of 5 May, the offices of Former LRA commander Thomas Kwoyelo, HURINET-U were broken into. A server, who in 2011 pleaded not guilty before the 29 computers, office cameras, safes, and International Crimes Division of the High security cameras were stolen. Court to charges of murder, wilful killing and On the night of 17 May, the offices of other offences committed in the context of the Uganda Land Alliance were broken the conflict in northern Uganda, remained into. Documents, computers and cameras remanded in prison. The government appeal were stolen. against the Constitutional Court’s decision A petition challenging the constitutionality that Thomas Kwoyelo was entitled to amnesty of the Non-Governmental Organizations under the Amnesty Act of 2000 remained Registration (Amendment) Act filed in 2006 pending before the Supreme Court. A remained pending. Proposals made in 2013 complaint submitted by Thomas Kwoyelo to further amend the NGO Law ostensibly to to the African Commission on Human and expand government control over NGO funding Peoples’ Rights challenging his continued and activities remained pending before the detention by the Ugandan government Cabinet. Authorities also proposed a Civic remained pending. Education Policy which if adopted would mean that any programmes to provide civic education - including on human rights - would need accreditation at the district level. Organizations deemed in breach of the policy could have their activities suspended for up to six months, have their accreditation revoked, Ukraine or even blacklisted. Head of state: (replaced in June, who replaced Viktor POLICE AND SECURITY FORCES Yanukovych in February) In July, groups of armed men staged violent Head of government: (replaced attacks mainly on police posts in Bundibugyo, in February) Kasese and Ntoroko. At least 65 people were killed in the attacks, including civilians, some of the attackers, and members of the police Violence resulting from the protests in the force and the army. Following the outbreak capital and later in of conflict in South Sudan, Ugandan troops escalated into a civil conflict with Russian were deployed to Juba city in December 2013 involvement. Violations by police, including in response to a request by the South Sudan torture and other ill-treatment as well as government to help secure the capital. In abusive use of force during demonstrations, January, Ugandan troops were present in Bor, continued with near-total impunity for the Jonglei state, where they supported the South perpetrators, while investigations into such Sudan authorities to regain control of the incidents remained ineffective. Abductions city from opposition forces. Ugandan troops of individuals were carried out, particularly remained in South Sudan throughout 2014. by pro-Russian paramilitaries in the occupied Autonomous Republic of INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE and by both warring sides in eastern Ukraine International Criminal Court arrest warrants affected by conflict. Both sides violated the issued in 2005 remained in force for Joseph laws of war. In Crimea, Russian restrictions

382 Report 2014/15 on the rights to freedom of expression, headquarters, in the cities of and assembly and association were fully applied, and several smaller towns, effectively and pro-Ukrainian activists and members of taking control over large parts of Donbass. the Crimean Tatar community were targeted On 15 April, the government announced the by paramilitaries and persecuted by the de beginning of an “anti-terrorist operation”. facto authorities. The situation rapidly escalated into an armed conflict between government forces BACKGROUND and separatist armed groups supported by Pro-European demonstrations in Kyiv . Pro-Kyiv forces were making steady (“EuroMaydan”) sparked in 2013 by the advances until late August when Russia government’s decision not to sign an stepped up its covert military involvement Association Agreement with the EU, resulted in Ukraine.1A ceasefire between the warring in the ousting of President Yanukovych sides was agreed at negotiations in Belarus in on 22 February. Following the violent September, although fighting continued on a dispersal by police of the initially peaceful reduced scale, resulting in the deaths of more demonstration on the night of 29 November than 4,000 people by the end of the year. 2013, the demonstrators became increasingly After the de factoauthorities in Donetsk and radicalized. Protesters erected tents on the Luhansk held “elections” on 2 November, central Independence Square and occupied Kyiv withdrew its offer of limited devolution for several buildings. While most protesters the region. remained peaceful, violence by both sides Early presidential and parliamentary escalated. At least 85 demonstrators and elections were held on 25 May and 26 18 police officers died as a direct result October respectively, returning pro-European of violence at EuroMaydan in Kyiv, and parties and politicians to power. On 16 hundreds were injured. September the European Parliament and the After secretly left Ukrainian parliament ratified the Association Ukraine and an interim government was Agreement with the EU, but it had not been formed, increasingly violent protests began in agreed by all EU member states by the end the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbass of the year. region in eastern Ukraine. In Crimea, buildings belonging to the local authorities IMPUNITY - EUROMAYDAN were occupied by armed paramilitaries calling The three months of EuroMaydan themselves “self-defence forces” on the night demonstrations shone a spotlight on the of 26 to 27 February. Jointly with members of systemic problem of impunity for the abusive regular Russian forces they blocked Ukrainian use of force, and for torture and other ill- military installations across the peninsula, and treatment of individuals by law enforcement on 27 February, in the presence of armed officers in Ukraine. Riot police first used men, the Crimean parliament elected a new force against entirely peaceful protesters on leadership. A “” was called on 16 30 November 2013, when they refused to March on the status of Crimea. Participants disperse, resulting in dozens of injuries and overwhelmingly voted in favour of unification the brief detention of 35 peaceful protesters with Russia while opponents boycotted it. On on charges of hooliganism. In response to 18 March, the de facto authorities of Crimea widespread condemnation, the authorities signed a “treaty” in Moscow resulting in its dismissed a senior Kyiv police official and annexation by Russia. reportedly initiated criminal proceedings By April, armed opponents of the new against him and four others, but these were government in Kyiv had occupied government never brought to any conclusion. In the buildings, including police and security subsequent weeks and months, the police

Amnesty International Report 2014/15 383 repeatedly resorted to the abusive use of in April to review EuroMaydan-related force at EuroMaydan as well as making investigations. It had not reported on the arbitrary arrests and attempting to initiate progress of the investigations by the end of arbitrary criminal proceedings against the year. demonstrators.2Eventually, firearms with live ammunition, including sniper rifles, were ABDUCTIONS, DISAPPEARANCES deployed at the demonstrations, although AND KILLINGS it remained unclear which forces had used During the protests in Kyiv, several dozen them and under whose orders they had EuroMaydan activists went missing. While the acted. The head of the Ukrainian Security fate of over 20 remained unclarified at the Services (SBU) stated in November that 16 end of the year, it transpired that some were former riot police officers and five senior SBU abducted and ill-treated. In December, the officials had been arrested in connection with Prosecutor General’s Office reported that 11 the killings of protesters in Kyiv. men suspected of abducting EuroMaydan After the downfall of Viktor Yanukovych, activists had been arrested and several others the new authorities publicly committed to placed on a wanted list. None were law effectively investigating and prosecuting those enforcement officials, although they allegedly responsible for deaths during EuroMaydan acted under orders from former senior and all the abuses against protesters. police officials. However, apart from indicting former senior Yury Verbytsky and Igor Lutsenko went political leadership, few if any concrete steps missing on 21 January, from hospital. Igor were taken in this direction. Lutsenko reported that he was blindfolded Only two law enforcement officers stood and beaten by his captors, and then dumped trial for torture and other ill-treatment during in a forest in freezing temperatures. Yury EuroMaydan, both low-ranking conscripts Verbytsky was found dead in a forest, his from the Interior Ministry Troops. On 28 ribs broken, with traces of duct tape around May, they were given suspended sentences his head. of three and two years respectively for Abductions and ill-treatment of captives “exceeding authority or official powers” were common in Russian-occupied Crimea (Article 365 of the Criminal Code) for their and the parts of eastern Ukraine controlled ill-treatment of Mykhaylo Havryliuk on 22 by separatists, affecting several hundred January 2014. Video footage shows Mykhaylo people. Among the first people targeted Havryliuk being forced to stand naked in were members of local administrations, sub-zero temperatures in front of dozens of pro-Ukrainian political activists, journalists officers from both Interior Ministry Troops and international observers. In a press and riot police; many can be seen actively conference on 23 April, the then self- humiliating him by forcing him to pose for proclaimed “people’s mayor” of Slovyansk, photographs before he is pushed into a bus. Vyacheslav Ponomarev, acknowledged that Victims in 20 cases of abusive of use of separatists were holding a number of people force by police in EuroMaydan monitored by as “bargaining chips”. Subsequently, several Amnesty International were frustrated by the hundred captives were exchanged between slow speed or apparent lack of investigation the separatists and the Ukrainian authorities. into their allegations, the failure of the Others were held for private ransom. Sasha, authorities to identify the perpetrators and a 19-year-old pro-Kyiv activist, was abducted poor communication from the Prosecutor’s by members of an armed group in Luhansk Office.3 on 12 June. Beaten continuously for 24 hours An International Advisory Panel on Ukraine and tortured with electric shocks, he was was established by the Council of Europe

384 Amnesty International Report 2014/15 released after his father reportedly paid a In November, the first court hearings began US$60,000 ransom. in one of the related cases against 21 men, Allegations of abductions were repeatedly all of them pro-Russian activists, under made against members of pro-Kyiv forces, charges relating to mass disorder and particularly so-called volunteer battalions unlawful use of firearms and explosives. The deployed to fight alongside regular forces secrecy surrounding the official investigations in Donbass. Several cases of abuses by prompted concern about their effectiveness Aidar battalion were documented between and impartiality. June and August in Luhansk Region. These included abductions of local men accused of ARMED CONFLICT collaborating with the separatists and holding Over 4,000 people had died in the conflict them in makeshift detention facilities before in eastern Ukraine by the end of the year. either releasing them or handing them over Many civilian deaths resulted from the to security services. In nearly all cases the indiscriminate use of force by both sides, captives were subjected to beatings, and had notably as a result of the use of unguided possessions, including cars and valuables, mortars and rockets in civilian areas. seized by the battalion members or had to Both sides failed to take reasonable pay a ransom for their release.4 precautions to protect civilians, in violation of MP published several videos the laws of war.6Both placed troops, weaponry online of him leading a group of armed men and other military targets in residential in balaclavas apprehending, interrogating areas. On numerous occasions, separatist and ill-treating individuals he suspected of forces used residential areas and buildings collaborating with separatists. No criminal as firing positions, while pro-Kyiv forces investigation was initiated into his actions. returned fire to these positions. There was He won a seat again at the parliamentary little indication that either side was seriously elections in October and his party entered the investigating alleged violations of international ruling coalition. humanitarian law and possible war crimes by There was evidence of summary killings by its own forces. each side in the conflict. Several separatist On 17 July, separatist forces reported the commanders boasted of having put captives destruction of a Ukrainian military plane. to death for alleged crimes, and the de facto When it transpired that a Malaysian Airlines separatist authorities introduced the “death civilian passenger jet had been shot down, penalty” in their “criminal code”.5 killing nearly 300 people, the claim was retracted, with both sides since blaming the COMMUNAL VIOLENCE other for the act. An international investigation With tensions affecting many regions of into the incident was ongoing by the end of the country, demonstrators for and against the year. the post-Yanukovych authorities clashed repeatedly in several cities, with police often DISPLACED PEOPLE failing to interfere or deal effectively with the Those escaping the Russian occupation of resulting violence. Crimea - around 20,000 - received some In , on 2 May, 48 anti-EuroMaydan state support for resettlement. Close to protesters were killed, and over 200 injured, a million people were estimated to have inside a burning building besieged by their been displaced as a result of the conflict in opponents during violent clashes. Police Donbass, around half of them internally and failed to take effective action to prevent the rest mainly in Russia. In Ukraine, most or contain the violence. Several criminal received limited state support and relied on investigations into these events were opened. their own means, family networks and the

Amnesty International Report 2014/15 385 assistance of volunteer organizations. The return until the late 1980s), were particularly adoption of a law on internally displaced targeted by the de facto authorities for the people, in October, had changed little on the public expression of pro-Ukrainian views. ground by the end of the year. Starting in March, there were a number of abductions and beatings of CRIMEA which the de facto authorities failed to Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea investigate. in March, its restrictive laws were used to On 3 March Reshat Ametov, a Crimean suppress the rights to freedom of assembly, Tatar, was led away by three men from the association and expression in the territory. “self-defence” forces after staging a one- Civil society organizations were effectively man protest in front of the Crimean Council closed down for non-compliance with Russian of Ministers building in the region’s capital legal requirements. Local residents were . His body was found almost two declared Russian citizens. Those wishing to weeks later, showing signs of torture. His retain Ukrainian citizenship were required to abductors were not identified. notify the authorities. The de facto authorities started a campaign The self-styled “self-defence” paramilitary to close the Mejlis, a body elected by the forces committed numerous grave abuses, Crimean Tatar assembly (Kurultai) and including enforced disappearances, with recognized by the Ukrainian authorities as the impunity. De facto Prime Minister of Crimea, representative organ of the Tatar community. Sergei Aksionov, stated that although these Mustafa Dzhemiliev, a veteran human paramilitaries had no official status or rights defender and founder of the Mejlis, authority, his government relied on them was banned from entering Crimea. He was and chose “sometimes to overlook” abuses repeatedly denied entry, including on 3 May committed by them. when he tried to cross through a checkpoint There were numerous reports of at Armyansk. Hundreds of Crimean Tatars abductions of pro-Ukrainian activists came to meet him. The de facto authorities in Crimea. claimed that this was an unlawful assembly, EuroMaydan activists Oleksandra and dozens of participants were fined. The Ryazantseva and Kateryna Butko were homes of several Crimean Tatar leaders were abducted on 9 March after being stopped subsequently searched and at least four at a checkpoint, reportedly manned by riot Crimean Tatars were arrested, charged with police officers and Crimean “self-defence” “extremism” and transferred to Russia for paramilitaries armed with guns and knives. investigation. They were released on 12 March.7 On 5 July, , who succeeded Oleg Sentsov, a well known pro-Ukrainian Mustafa Dzhemiliev as the leader of the activist and film director, was secretly arrested Mejlis, was also prevented from returning to by Russian security officials in Crimea Crimea and banned for five years. The newly on 9 May and unlawfully transferred to appointed de facto Prosecutor of Crimea Moscow, along with several other individuals. travelled to the border crossing to warn him Criminal proceedings against him - under that the activities of the Mejlis violated the terrorism-related charges that appeared Russian law on extremism. On 19 September, groundless - were conducted in secrecy, and the Russian authorities confiscated the his allegations of torture dismissed by the headquarters of the Mejlis on the grounds authorities. that its founder (Mustafa Dzhemiliev) was a Crimean Tatars, an ethnic group indigenous foreign citizen, who had been banned from to the peninsula (deported to remote parts of entering Russia. the in 1944 and not allowed to

386 Amnesty International Report 2014/15 On 16 May, just two days before the 7. Ukraine: Journalists at risk of abduction in Crimea (EUR 50/015/2014) planned annual events to mark the 70th www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR50/015/2014/en anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944, the de facto Prime Minister of Crimea announced that all mass meetings in Crimea would be banned until 6 June, in order to “eliminate possible provocations UNITED ARAB by extremists” and to prevent “disruption of the summer holiday season”. Just one EMIRATES commemorative Crimean Tatar event was allowed on the day, on the outskirts of United Arab Emirates Simferopol, with a heavy police presence. Head of state: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Head of government: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, Al Maktoum TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX PEOPLE An LGBTI Pride March planned for 5 July in Kyiv was cancelled after the police told the The government restricted the rights to organizing committee that they could not freedom of expression and association, secure the safety of participants in the face of and prosecuted critics using provisions of expected counter-demonstrations.ºThe newly the Penal Code and the 2012 cybercrimes elected , Vitaliy Klychko, stated law. Prisoners of conscience continued to on 27 June that this was not the time for such be held after unfair trials in which courts “entertainment events” in Ukraine. accepted evidence allegedly obtained through torture and other violations of their rights. Women faced discrimination 1. Ukraine: Mounting evidence of war crimes and Russian involvement in law and practice. Migrants, especially (News story) women domestic workers, were inadequately www.amnesty.org/en/news/ukraine-mounting-evidence-war-crimes- protected by law and faced exploitation and and-russian-involvement-2014-09-05 abuse. The government declared a partial 2. Ukraine: Kyiv protest ban blatant attempt to “gag peaceful moratorium on executions after carrying out protesters” (News story) an execution in January. www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/ukraine-kiev-protest-ban- blatant-attempt-gag-peaceful-protesters BACKGROUND 3. Ukraine: a new country or business as usual? (EUR 50/028/2014) The Federal National Council approved a draft www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR50/028/2014/en/da555a1a- child rights law. It was awaiting presidential 99a1-4d76-a52b-8f020712e0fa/eur500282014en.pdf approval at the end of the year. In April, a 4. Ukraine: Abuses and war crimes by the AidarVolunteer Battalion in the government minister announced that the north Luhansk region (EUR 50/040/2014) authorities were preparing a law to regulate www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR50/040/2014/en/e6776c69- the activities of foreign NGOs. No draft had fe66-4924-bfc0-d15c9539c667/eur500402014en.pdf been published by the end of the year. 5. Summary: killings during the conflict in eastern Ukraine (EUR 50/042/2014) FREEDOMS OF EXPRESSION, www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR50/042/2014/en ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY 6. Eastern Ukraine: Both sides responsible for indiscriminate attacks The authorities used provisions of the Penal (Press release) Code and the cybercrimes law of 2012 to www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/eastern-ukraine-both- stifle dissent and to prosecute and imprison sides-responsible-indiscriminate-attacks-2014-11-06 government critics on charges including “instigating hatred against the state”, and

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