Chernihiv “Chernobyl residents” are fighting for their rights

Local authorities have illegally deprived over 70 residents of Chernihiv region, who became disabled due to the Chernobyl accident, of their status as Chernobyl survivors. Most of them suffer from thyroid cancer.

Local authorities have illegally deprived over 70 residents of Chernihiv region, who became disabled due to the Chernobyl accident, of their status as Chernobyl survivors. Most of them suffer from thyroid cancer.

Despite the fact that 29 years have passed since the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the consequences of the terrible disaster are still felt. As a result of the accident, residents of the Chernihiv region received radiation iodine to the thyroid gland, exceeding the limit levels established by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, which subsequently caused severe oncological diseases.

In 2010, the departments and offices subordinate to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine were instructed to look for a way to save money. The Main Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration did not find a better way to save money – how to deprive people affected by the Chernobyl accident of the status of Chernobyl survivors and the corresponding benefits. It was with this insistent request that the leadership of the Department of Social Protection of the Population turned to the chief doctors of the Chernihiv Regional Center for Radiation Protection and Population Rehabilitation and the Regional Center for Medical and Social Expertise. They demanded that doctors replace the groups and causes of disability of people affected by the Chernobyl accident with a general disease. The heads of these medical commissions, without examining the patients and studying the medical cases, having a conflict of interest, agreed to this.

“These circumstances gave grounds for the Department of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the Chernihiv region and its subordinate structures not to pay pensions for this category of citizens in full, and for the Main Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population to take away benefits from these Chernobyl survivors. And then illegally withdraw from them the certificates of persons who suffered as a result of the Chernobyl disaster, category 1”

— comments on the situation public activist Ihor Ushkevych.

This situation forced people to turn to the country’s leadership, sectoral ministers and courts in search of justice. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine and various judicial authorities recognized the actions of Chernihiv regional officials, who are subordinate to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, as illegal. Their verdict is unequivocal: the illness and disability groups of citizens are directly related to the Chernobyl accident. Therefore, people have a legal right to benefits provided for in Article 20 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Status and Social Protection of Citizens Who Suffered as a Result of the Chernobyl Disaster”.

Today, thanks to dozens of court decisions, joint active actions of human rights defenders and activists, the majority of Chernobyl victims restored groups and benefits, partially returned the corresponding certificates.

According to Igor Ushkevych, despite all the court decisions, local officials are trying to resist. So far, not all people have had their certificate inserts returned, and some victims have not had their corresponding payments and benefits restored. Currently, the Chernihiv region prosecutor’s office has opened criminal proceedings due to failure to comply with the relevant court decisions by relevant regional officials.

To finally resolve the problem, Chernobyl survivors and human rights activists intend to continue to defend justice in all instances, as well as to hold negligent officials responsible for this situation accountable. After all, such a conflict on such a scale has not arisen in any other region of Ukraine, except Chernihiv.

Currently, the Chernihiv region prosecutor’s office has opened criminal proceedings

due to failure to implement relevant court decisions by relevant regional officials.

Examples of court decisions on this case: