IOM and U.S. helping to protect victims of trafficking in Chernihiv Region

A courtroom equipped with technical facilities for the remote broadcasting of victims’ and witnesses’ testimonies was inaugurated in May 2011 in the Chernihiv Region Court of Appeals. In addition, a specially outfitted separate room for persons being held in connection with a crime during court proceedings was opened. The installed equipment enables the complete separation of witnesses and victims from other court process participants in criminal cases related to human trafficking and other grievous crimes. This technical innovation is a huge step forward: at present, the majority of victims and witnesses of crimes related to human trafficking do not cooperate with law enforcement due to fear for their personal safety.

Counter-Racism Programs in Ukraine Defend Refugees

The ABA ROLI-supported counter-racism programs continue to help refugees and foreigners assert their rights.

Early 2011, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) awarded advocacy grants to seven Ukrainian non-governmental organizations as part of its program to combat xenophobia and racism. The ABA ROLI-supported programs—some of which are in full swing while others are coming to a close—have been successful.

Action Week Against Racism 2011 in Chernihiv Region

European-wide Action Week Against Racism was held all over Europe from 14 to 27 March 2011 organized by the UNITED for Intercultural Action - pan-European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees.

Every year, around 21 March, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, the UNITED Network (www.unitedagainstracism.org) coordinates the European-wide Action Week Against Racism and calls upon the international community to erase racism, discrimination and intolerance, bringing people together and enjoying diversity.

Legal Assistance for Victims of Racism and Hate Crimes

Chernihiv Public Committee for Human Rights Protection continues activity on giving legal aid to victims of hate crimes and violence.

The program goal is to protect the victims of racism and hate crimes, prevention of such crimes by giving free legal aid and other assistance to the vulnerable groups in Chernihiv Region as well as to the foreigners detained in the “Rozsudiv” Migrants Accommodation Center in Chernihiv Region. For this purpose there will be carried out a number of human rights, education and information actions with the participation of the representatives of interested parties: minorities, refugees, migrants, policemen and border guards, NGO activists and wide sections of the population.

Volyn border guards, policemen and judges get trained to respect for human rights of migrants and asylum seekers

On 6-8 October, 2010, a series of trainings on the theme “Protection of Migrants’ and Asylum Seekers’ Rights. EU-Ukraine Readmission Agreement Implementation” for border guards, policemen and judges held in Volyn Region of Ukraine.

The following themes were highlighted: rights of migrants detained for violation of migration law (right to an effective remedy, interpreter’s assistance and right to appeal decision of authorities); international and national standards of treatment of illegal migrants; legal and institutional base on readmission in Ukraine and EU countries’ experience; problem of ill-treatment in the context of combating irregular migration and counter-traffcking; respect for human rights in the activity of law enforcement agencies, etc.

Preventing Ill-Treatment of Migrants in the context of EU-Ukraine Readmission Agreement Implementation

Chernihiv Public Committee of Human Rights Protection launches new project “Advocacy Campaigning for Prevention of Human Rights Abuses of Irregular Migrants and Persons being in Readmission Procedure in Ukrainian Detention Facilities”.

The process of counteracting illegal migration is connected with the necessity to keep detained illegal migrants in closed facilities in custody (as a rule, in the temporary accommodation centers for the foreigners and stateless persons). Sometimes it leads to violation of human rights, and in some cases, to inhuman or degrading treatment of migrants. Until recently, this problem was exclusively connected with the migrants detained on the territory of Ukraine. But a new page in the issues of respect of human rights of detained irregular migrants was opened by Ukraine on January 1, 2010 when the readmission agreement between the EU and Ukraine has come into effect.

Chernihiv Court revokes curfew for minors

The Desnyansky District Court in Chernihiv ruled that a curfew for minors was unlawful and that the Chernihiv Regional Council had violated citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of movement.

The Decision of the Council “On restricting children’s presence in recreational establishments, public eating places, computer clubs, on the streets and other public places” from 24 December 2009 in prohibiting children under the age of 14 from being on the street and other public places without their parents after 22.00, and from 14 to 16 — after 23.00, was declared unlawful.

Nazi maniac killed three persons in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on the day of 121st anniversary of Hitler

The press managed to learn the details of commission of crimes and detention of Chernihiv (Ukraine) maniac-Nazi schizophrenic, who in the evening of April 20, 2010, on the day of 121st anniversary of Hitler, killed with a shovel three elderly people (60-80 years). Another victim, a man aged 45, a former military man, beat off the maniac. He is alive, although his head is injured. The source, close to the investigative operational group from the central office of the Interior Ministry, told about it, writes Segodnya.

EU invests improvement of Rozsudiv migrants detention centre in Chernihiv region of Ukraine

The European Union has recently invested EUR 140 000 for further improvement of two existing detention centres in Rozsudiv (Chernihiv oblast) and Zhuravichi (Volyn oblast).

In both centres modern perimeter security systems were installed. In addition, Rozsudiv DC received power stabilizators to eliminate problems with electricity supply and to ensure optimal functioning of the provided security equipment. Zhuravichi DC received tourniquet system with registration cards for migrants, electronic door locking system, security window tapes and bars for dormitories.

Action Week Against Racism in Ukraine

European-wide Action Week Against Racism held all over Europe from 15 to 23 March 2009 was finished in Ukraine. It is worth mentioning that this year Ukraine has come to considerable worsening situation. Chernihiv Region is not an exception to this. It is confirmed in the latest national report «Racism and Xenophobia in Ukraine in 2008 - 2009».

Unfortunately, lately there were many events indicating significant growth of racism, xenophobia and intolerance in our multiethnic region: there are neo-nazi marches with calls to evict or restrict the rights of non-titular ethnic group, intolerance actions in respect of migrants, death of the extremist group’s activist after being blown up by own explosive assembly, racist attack on Chechen refugee in Chernihiv in January 2009 and so forth.

Good Governance - Ukrainian experience for Belarus

On 27-30 November, 2008, international school on human rights and good governance was held in Chernihiv for the representatives of Belarusian civil society.

Exactly “good governance” was the main theme to pay attention this time as this issue is very topical for modern Belarus. The country expects for great changes and third sector’s representatives need skills and knowledge in this field.

Taking into account direction of the school on maximum involvement of Ukrainian and international experts possessing practical experience in civil society development, the following experts appeared as the school’s lecturers: Vladimir Weisman – international expert of Helsinki movement (Denmark), Stasys Kausinis – chairman of the Civil Defence Fund (Lithuania), Juhani Grossmann - Chief of the Project “Promoting Active Citizen Engagement (ACTION) in Combating Corruption in Ukraine”, Vyacheslav Yakubenko – noted Ukrainian media lawyer, Oleksandr Demchenko – judge of the Appellate Court of Chernihiv Region, Oleksiy Tarasov – chairman of the Chernihiv Public Committee of Human Rights Protection etc.

On June 26-27, the Forum for Refugee-assisting NGOs was held in Chernihiv, Ukraine. The basic goal of the Forum was to discuss the main problems in the field of refugees’ and irregular migrants’ rights in Ukraine as well as search for new ways of NGOs cooperation. Devoted to the International Refugee Day, this action was organized by the Chernihiv Public Committee of Human Rights Protection with the support of European Commission and European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) within the project “Promotion to the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms of refugees and migrants, combating irregular migration in Ukraine”.