ANNUAL REPORT 2016 2016 Annual Report of UHHRU / Editors: A
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ANNUAL REPORT 2016 2016 Annual Report of UHHRU / Editors: A. Buschenko. – Kyiv: Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, 2017. – 48 с. © A. Buschenko, M.Shcherbatyuk, O.Martynenko, O.Bida, M.Tarakhkalo, М.Yeligulashvili, O.Sapozhnikova, D.Sviridova, S.Burov, B.Zakharov, L.Elcheva, S.Myasoedov, 2017 © Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, 2017 CONTENTS Achievements of UHHRU in 2016 ................................................................................. 4 Directions of UHHRU’s work in 2016 ........................................................................... 8 JUDICIAL PROTECTION .............................................................................................................. 9 NETWORK OF PUBLIC RECEPTIONS (PR) ....................................................................................20 ANALYTICAL DIRECTION .........................................................................................................22 EDUCATION AND TRAINING ....................................................................................................26 ADVOCACY WORK .................................................................................................................34 Organizational Development of UHHRU in 2016 ..................................................38 Financial Report 2016 ........................................................................................................42 Executive board ....................................................................................................................46 Achievements of UHHRU in 2016 Achievements of UHHRU • 5 ✔ THE LAW ON THE ABOLITION of alternative preventive measures applied to corrupt officials was prevented (No. 3066). ✔ THE LAW IMPROVING judicial protection of foreigners and stateless persons, as well as resolving certain issues related to counteraction to illegal migration (No. 3159) was adopted. ✔ On August 1, 2016, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine LAUNCHED THE SINGLE REGISTER of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that was initiated in the special laws prepared by human rights defenders, who had been insisting on it for two years. JUDICIAL PROTECTION In 2016, UHHRU focused on the Territory of Ukraine and/or from distinguish personal belongings support of strategic litigations Another Territory of Ukraine to of citizens from those for entre- at the national, European and the Temporarily Occupied Terri- preneurial activity. Subsequently, international levels. Thanks to the tory» refers to the actual depri- UHHRU supported the case in team’s efforts, 10 lawsuits had vation of the right of Crimeans order to declare it as illegal and been won. In total, more than 150 to evacuate their property. The abolish Decree No. 1035. The case new cases in different thematic Strategic Litigations Center of is being considered. areas were supported during the UHHRU supported the case of a year. The case against the State citizen of Ukraine, who lived in On October 7, 2016, the press Savings Bank of Ukraine [Oshchad- Crimea and received a refusal conference was held concerning Bank] is among the most notable from customs officers to evacu- the high-profile case of human ones. Under the pressure of law- ate his own property from the trafficking - the case of employ- yers of UHHRU, the Bank returned occupied territories. The refusal ing drug traffickers in Ukraine money to its defrauded clients. was challenged in the court. for coercion to criminal activity The administrative lawsuit of in the Russian Federation. The precedent-setting case the citizen was granted a judge- concerning CMU Decree No. ment to the plaintiff completely. During the next two months, fol- 1035 «On Restrictions on Sup- The court decision included an lowing the request of UHHRU, the ply of Certain Goods (Works, important conclusion regarding working group of the Ministry of Services) from the Temporarily the protection of the person’s the Interior of Ukraine (MoI) con- Occupied Territory to Another property rights and the need to ducted investigative actions. 6 • Achievements of UHHRU ■ December 3, 2016. Borys Zakharov (AC of UHHRU) at a press briefing of the Ministry of the Interior on the recruitment of drug traffickers in Ukraine protecting her/his rights and remained toe-to-toe with the problem. The database of human rights violations was created. On May 12, 2016, UHHRU held a press conference at the Glavkom Information Agency concern- ing compensation for destroyed property in the ATO zone. For the first time, within the “Sloviansk” precedent-setting case, a resi- dent of Sloviansk with the help In early December, the Depart- In 2016, three expert opinions of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human ment of the National Police for for the Constitutional Court of Rights Union’s lawyers won the Human Trafficking Prevention Ukraine were prepared. case in court, which concerned arrested four organizers of the the compensation for housing criminal group, who recruited NETWORK OF PUBLIC destroyed during ATO. Ukrainian citizens for work as RECEPTIONS (PR) drug traffickers in the Russian More than 37,000 people have ANALYTICAL DIRECTION Federation. Thus, the human traf- received legal assistance, includ- The mechanism of public control ficking channel was closed down. ing in disputes with the state. over government agencies in the process of implementation of the Also, in 2016, UHHRU won more One of the main results of the National Human Rights Strategy than 10 cases internationally. Network of public receptions is was created. Some cases for the first time the significant increase in the raised issues at the level of the people’s access to legal aid. First An innovative model of human European Court of Human Rights of all, this applies to cases of rights monitoring in the context (ECHR), namely it was declared people facing a violation of their of decentralization – “Municipal that national legislation does rights by the state, who could not Human Rights Index” - was intro- not provide any opportunity to receive free legal assistance from duced. protect private life from co- state centers. In these cases, an living with strangers (the case of affected person often encoun- The debate on the formation of Smirnov v. Ukraine). tered the greatest obstacles in transitional justice has begun. Achievements of UHHRU • 7 The Center for documenting human rights violations and war crimes has been established. EDUCATIONAL DIRECTION More than 100 claims to the European Court of Human Rights were filed by alumni of the edu- cational programs; 35 cases are being communicated. The alumni took part in 79 strate- gic litigations. The alumni together with human rights organizations provided more than 2500 consultations in cases of human rights violations. During 2016, 23 educational events were hosted within the framework of human rights train- ■ The first page of the new website of UHHRU ing for lawyers, 533 persons were trained (attorneys, judges, and implemented by the best Ukrain- and Twitter, etc.) in 2016. This lawyers). ian and international experts. The greatly contributed to the expan- pilot project will be launched in sion of advocacy activities of all Thanks to the work of experts 2017. units of UHHRU. and approbation in 2016, a unique educational tool - training DIGITAL INTERFACE UPDATE Over the reporting period, the course “Human Rights Stand- On February 8, 2016, the new number of visitors of UHHRU’s ards in the Practice of Lawyers official website of UHHRU was digital resources has increased and Judges” – was developed, launched, and the Twitter page of significantly. In addition, in 2016, aimed at enhancing the profes- UHHRU was restarted. the official webpages provided sional capacity of lawyers and judges to promote the obser- During 2016, the assignment to live broadcastings of the press vance and protection of human a separate position of website conferences of UHHRU and court rights and freedoms and the editor at the PR-department of sessions. implementation of international UHHRU made possible to inten- human rights standards into the sify publication of materials in all In 2017, a new level of devel- national legal system of Ukraine. digital resources of UHHRU (of- opment of digital resources of The course was designed and ficial website, pages on Facebook UHHRU is planned. Directions of UHHRU’s work in 2016 Directions of UHHRU’s work • 9 ■ Strategic Litigations Center of UHHRU Judicial protection In April 2016, a complaint was filed iment of the Kirovohrad Special to ECHR concerning the capture of Forces, who have been captured by EASTERN UKRAINE Volodymyr Zhemchuhov by the self- the self-proclaimed republics since During 2016, extensive work in proclaimed republics. Mr. Zhem- February 16, 2015. the field of representing interests chuhov was not military, but was of victims of the conflict in the accused of espionage in favor of On August 12, 2016, observations Ukraine. He had been held in cap- were sent for communication be- European Court of Human Rights tivity for almost 1 year. In August tween the governments of Ukraine and at the national level was car- 2016, his case was referred to the and the Russian Federation ried out. SLC supported cases of communication of the European concerning three cases related to people, who were held in captivity Court of Human Rights. those who were killed in the zone in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts; of the anti-terrorist operation. The hostages who are still in captivity; SLC also supports the cases of questions raised by the