FACT FINDING MISSION REPORT UKRAINE May 2017 1 FACT FINDING MISSION REPORT UKRAINE May 2017 FACT FINDING MISSION REPORT Imprint Published by UKRAINE French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless persons 201, rue Carnot | 94136 Fontenaysous-Bois Cedex | France www.ofpra.gouv.fr Country of Origin Information Department | Federal Office for Immigration andAsylum Modecenterstraße 22 | 1030 Vienna | Austria www.staatendokumentation.at Editors Caroline Morin-Terrini | Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides Thomas Schrott | Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum Layout Martin Angel | Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum Cover Martin Angel | Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum Print Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior Disclaimer This report was compiled in accordance with the common EU Guidelines for the processing of information on countries of origin (EU Quality Guidelines, April 2008, https://www.ecoi. net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/coi_common_guidelines-2008-04-en.pdf). The EU common guidelines on (Joint) Fact Finding Missions were applied to the Fact Finding Mission (EU common guidelines on (Joint) Fact Finding Missions, November 2010, http://www.ecoi. net/file_upload/90_1292230919_20101118-ecs-ffm-guidelines-final-version.pdf), as well as the Austrian guidelines on Fact Finding Missions (BAA FFM guidelines, June 2010, www. staatendokumentation.at/baa-ffm-guidelines-2010-06-22.pdf) and the Methodology of the Staatendokumentation (Methodologie der Staatendokumentation, December 2013, http:// www.staatendokumentation.at/methodologie-der-staatendokumentation.doc) Copyright This publication and all the data and images therein are protected by copyright. All rights of utilization are reserved to the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior. Reproduction and distribution in any possible way – for commercial or non-commercial purposes – are prohibited without prior written permission by the editors. May 2017 © 2017 Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum & French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless persons ISBN 978-3-903109-04-9 3 Index Introduction and methodology .............................................................................9 Chapter 1. Reform of the Judiciary .......................................................................10 1. Judicial Reform ............................................................................................................10 2. Reform of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) .......................................................11 3. Criticism .......................................................................................................................12 Chapter 2. Reform of the Police ............................................................................14 1. From “Militsiya” to National Police ...............................................................................14 2. Legislation and Reform Measures ...............................................................................15 3. Criticism .......................................................................................................................18 Chapter 3. Military Service: Conscription and Mobilization ...............................20 1. Military service ............................................................................................................20 1.1. Conscripts ............................................................................................................20 1.1.1. Enlistment ....................................................................................................20 1.1.2. Postponement of Call-up .............................................................................21 1.1.3. Conscription .................................................................................................23 1.2. Contractors ...........................................................................................................24 1.3. Mobilization .........................................................................................................26 1.3.1. Legal framework ..........................................................................................26 1.3.2. 2014 and 2015 drafts ....................................................................................28 1.3.3. Demobilization .............................................................................................30 1.4. Reserve ...............................................................................................................31 2. Alternative service .......................................................................................................32 2.1. Legal Framewok ..................................................................................................32 2.2. Enforcement .........................................................................................................34 3. Draft evasion and desertion .......................................................................................35 3.1. Practices .............................................................................................................35 3.2. Legal Framework .................................................................................................38 3.3. Law Enforcement ...............................................................................................39 Chapter 4. Situation in Government Controlled Areas (GCA) and Non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCA) of the Donbass region .................41 1. Security situation ........................................................................................................41 1.1. Hotspots ...............................................................................................................41 1.2. Casualties ...........................................................................................................42 1.3. Crossing points ...................................................................................................44 2. Humanitarian situation ................................................................................................45 2.1. Employment and social benefits .........................................................................45 2.2. Food and medical aid ...........................................................................................47 3. Human rights situation ................................................................................................48 3.1. Freedom of expression .......................................................................................49 3.2. Freedom of movement ........................................................................................50 3.3. Illegal occupation and seizure of properties ........................................................53 3.4. Abductions and enforced disappearances ..........................................................54 3.5. Ill treatments and torture .....................................................................................56 Chapter 5. Situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)..............................57 5 1. Internal Displacement in Ukraine .................................................................................57 2. IDPs in Ukraine: Geographic Distribution and Support ................................................58 3. IDP Legislation and Registration ..................................................................................61 4. IDP Registration and social benefits ............................................................................62 5. The Problem of Registered IDPs Living in NGCA ........................................................64 6. Other Problems with IDP Legislation ...........................................................................65 7. Attitude Towards IDPs In Host Communities ...............................................................66 COI Sources ...........................................................................................................70 Interviews led by the Austrian and French asylum COI experts, between 13 and 17 June 2016 ........................................................................................70 Reports published by International Organizations ...........................................................71 Reports, communiqués and articles published by National Institutions ...........................73 Reports and articles published by NGOs .........................................................................75 Articles published by the Media .......................................................................................75 Other articles and reports ................................................................................................78 Legal documents ............................................................................................................79 6 Acknowledgement Acknowledgement The delegation would like to express special thanks to the office of the Police Liaison Officer with the Austrian Embassy in Kiev. 8 Introduction Introduction and methodology This report is the product of a joint fact-finding mission conducted by the Country of Origin Information Department (Staatendokumentation) of the Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) and the Information, Documentation and Research Division (DIDR) of the French