The Ukrainian Weekly 1996, No.49
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry promote reforms in Ukraine — page 3. • Slavic studies convention focuses on Ukraine — page 9. • Nuns overcome diversity to build anew in Hoshiv — page 11. HE KRAINI A N EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXIV No. 49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1996 $1.25/$2 in Ukraine Council of Europe rebukes Lisbon summit of OSCE discusses Ukraine for capital punishment future course for European security by Roman Woronowycz In fact, the issue is being studied at sev- by Roman Woronowycz Secretary of the Security Council Kyiv Press Bureau eral government levels. A presidential com- Kyiv Press Bureau Volodymyr Horbulin and the chairman of mission has been formed in the last year as the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on KYIV — The Parliamentary Assembly well as a committee in the Verkhovna KYIV — Ukraine’s President Leonid Foreign Relations and Matters of the CIS, of the Council of Europe announced at a Rada. Deputy Borys Oliynyk and Mr. Kuchma and 54 other Western leaders Borys Oliynyk, addressed the summit seminar in Kyiv on November 28-29 that Holovatyi both agreed that one of the prob- met in Lisbon, Portugal, on December 2- meeting on December 2. He said “the hundreds of people have been killed by the lems with ridding the country of capital 3 to set the course for European security biggest threat to state security in today’s Ukrainian government in the last months, punishment is that the Ukrainian populace into the 21st century. world comes from internal factors, such as even though Ukraine had agreed to a firmly supports it (polls show that only 6 Discussions centered on relations the social and economic environment, moratorium on capital punishment when it percent of the population is for abolition). between the established Western European human rights issues and politics,” accord- joined the council 11 months ago. Both men came out for abolition of the states and new members from the East. ing to various press reports. The announcement was made at a con- death penalty, and Mr. Holovatyi added Consensus was achieved on the expansion He laid special emphasis on the need to cluding press conference by Zsolt Nemeth, that capital punishment is not a decision for of NATO, with only Russia continuing to abide by the principle of “the inviolability member of the Committee on Legal the population at large to make. protest NATO’s future movement eastward. of European borders as the foundation of The summit of the Organization for Affairs and Human Rights of the He blamed the Verkhovna Rada, the security system.” President Kuchma Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly. “We have President Leonid Kuchma and former then called on the OSCE to outline “clear- (OSCE) agreed on a “Comprehensive learned a shocking fact — hundreds, hun- Prime Minister Yevhen Marchuk for not ly and unambiguously” sanctions to be Security Model for the 21st Century,” dreds of people have been executed in forcing the issue. “I think that the attitude implemented should violations of borders and, although all attendees signed it, Ukraine in the last months,” he explained. toward the death penalty must be led by occur. He also called on European states Russia’s Prime Minister Viktor “We had suspected such before our con- the government,” said the minister. to develop mechanisms to assure the secu- Chernomyrdin dismayed world leaders ference, now we are sure.” He said that The issue of the death penalty in Ukraine rity of states that do not fall within “col- by blasting the agreement to expand merely in the last six months the number goes even deeper than the killing of those lective defense structures.” NATO to include some Central European stands at 90, to which Minister of Justice found guilty of capital offenses. Another countries like Poland, Hungary and the Discussions on Ukraine Serhii Holovatyi rebuked weakly, “The major revelation made by the seminar, and Czech Republic. official number is 89.” acknowledged by Mr. Holovatyi, is that the At a December 4 press briefing at the “Yes, Russia has no veto power over Minister Holovatyi explained that he victims’ relatives are not informed when Presidential Administration building, the the alliance’s expansion, but nobody has could only cite information of other gov- the sentence will be carried out, and then president’s foreign affairs advisor, a veto on our rights to defend our own ernmental ministries because the the victims are buried in unmarked graves. Volodymyr Ohrysko, said discussions on national interests,” he said, according to Ministry of Justice does not have access Explained Mr. Nemeth, “We are happy that Ukraine had been a central aspect of the a Washington Post report. to prisoner death records; they remain democracy has developed in Ukraine, but summit. The agreement also includes a com- with the Procuracy and the Interior this type of barbarism throws shadows on He said President Kuchma had spoken prehensive plan for troop reductions and Ministry. “I get a statistical report every its democracy. We hope the government with 16 world leaders in the two days and for renewed arms reduction talks among six months,” he said. and the public will disclose the information that all but three of the meetings were the countries. Speaking with The Weekly before the so that we can tell the families.” He added requested by the other parties. “I believe conference had started, he had said face- President Kuchma, who was there with tiously that “it is a state secret when (Continued on page 18) Foreign Minister Hennadiy Udovenko, (Continued on page 2) Ukraine last used the death penalty.” The seminar, attended by representatives of 15 European countries that are members of the Council of Europe, was supposed to Ambassador Viktor Batiuk killed in car accident have been a general discussion on the aboli- by Roman Woronowycz ed ambassador to Canada, where he International Labor Organization. He tion of the death penalty in Europe. It Kyiv Press Bureau served until February of this year. was a member of the Writers’ Union of quickly turned into a commentary on the Ambassador Batiuk was born in Ukraine and had published translations status of capital punishment in Ukraine and KYIV — Viktor Batiuk, who had Sverdlovsk, Russia, on March 15, 1939. of works from Bangladeshi, Indian and Russia, both of which had agreed to give up been Ukraine’s representative to the The ethnic Ukrainian, after completing American literature. death penalty sentencing as a condition for United Nations and later ambassador to studies at the Moscow Institute of Mr. Batiuk is survived by his wife entry into the council. Canada, was killed in an automobile International Relations in 1962, moved and three children. From the opening plenary session, accident on December 2. to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Ukraine and Russia came under the hot The 57-year-old diplomat, who had Affairs in Kyiv. glare of the lights of the European com- currently held the title ambassador-at- For the next 30 years he slowly rose munity. Renate Wohlwend, vice-chair of large, was returning to Kyiv from a through the ranks, spending time at the the Subcommittee on Human Rights, was mission to Slovakia when the accident United Nations as second secretary of quick to lay down the law. “I am sorry to occurred. Ukraine’s Permanent Mission in New say that there are still unfortunately two According to an unofficial version York in 1968-1973, and at the U.N. black sheep in our family; Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press Office and other international organiza- Russia are not honoring their commit- service gave The Weekly, the ambas- tions based in Geneva, in 1978-1984. ments. The assembly expressed its horror sador was crossing a bridge near the He also served as third, second and at the situation with a resolution it adopt- village of Latorytsia in the Zakarpattia first secretary at the Ministry of ed in June 1996,” she explained. region of Ukraine at approximately 10 Foreign Affairs in 1962-1968, assistant “We hope the seminar will inform the a.m. when his car crossed the meridian to the minister of foreign affairs in countries not keeping their word that the and struck a tractor-trailer approaching 1973-1974, and general secretary of death penalty is not needed. We must from the other direction. The press the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of make them aware that we can use sanc- spokesperson emphasized that the offi- Ukraine in 1974-1978. From 1984 to tions, with the ultimate sanction being cial investigation was not yet complete. 1992 he served as a member of the that they could be thrown out of the In addition to Mr. Batiuk, who was dri- board and director of the Department of Council of Europe.” ving, two other passengers in the car died. International Organizations at the Mr. Holovatyi said Ukraine is not Mr. Batiuk served as Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. turning its back on its commitment to rid ambassador to the United Nations in In 1964 he was a fellow at the itself of the death penalty, but that it will 1992-1994. Afterwards, he was appoint- Institute for Labor Studies at the Ambassador Viktor Batiuk take time. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1996 No. 49 Chornobyl plant’s No. 1 re a c t o r is shut down — at least for now Ukrainian team scales Nepal peak nizing illegal strikes in July protesting by Roman Woronowycz However, the State Nuclear Energy government wage arrears, because they do Kyiv Press Bureau Commission released a statement on JERSEY CITY, N.J.