On the work of the Public Council under the Department of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region and mobile groups in 2012

In May 2012, a plan of joint activities of the Chernihiv Oblast Internal Affairs Department and the Public Council under the Department of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Chernihiv Oblast was agreed upon for 2012, including participation in the work of “round tables”, training seminars, and other events, and a schedule of visits and the composition of mobile groups for monitoring the provision of human and civil rights and freedoms in the activities of the internal affairs bodies of the Chernihiv Oblast for 2012 was agreed upon.

Approved areas of work for 2012:

– Work of the public reception. Joint receptions with the management of the Department of Internal Affairs. Responsible: Vodolagin S.M.

– Operation of permanent mobile groups for monitoring the protection of human and civil rights and freedoms. Responsible: Lepekha A.G.

– Assistance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in preventing human rights violations during detention, interrogation and during the investigation. Responsible: Burov S.Yu.

– Assistance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in preventing manifestations of discrimination, racism and xenophobia, protecting the rights of asylum seekers, migrants, foreigners. Responsible: Ediev T.A.

– Assistance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in preventing domestic violence; protecting the rights of children and minors. Responsible: Dorozhkina I.V.

– Assistance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in observing rights in the field of entrepreneurial activity and the exercise of economic rights. Responsible: Petrova T.I.

– Promoting the legal and social protection of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Responsible: Tarasov V.V.

– Implementing the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of movement. Responsible: Tarasov V.V., Trofimov O.G.

On June 27, 2012, an extraordinary meeting of the Public Council under the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region was held, convened at the request of members of the Public Council regarding reports of high-profile events that took place in June: information about the involvement of police officers in a possible rape in the Pryluky district and the suicide of two brothers in the village of Zdryahivka, Gorodnyansky district. During the meeting, the head of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region, Mykhaylik O.G., provided direct information on the investigation of these cases.

At the end of May, in the system of in-service training, the head of the Public Council under the Department of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region, Lepekha A.G., held a session with employees of the Department of Internal Affairs of Chernihiv region on the study of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The topic of the session was not chosen by chance. After all, recently the number of reports in the media about cases of torture and cruel treatment of citizens by law enforcement officers has increased. The level of law enforcement violence and unjustified cruelty is growing, and getting into police units is becoming a dangerous thing for citizens. The shameful facts of manifestations of brutal or cruel treatment, the use of torture by police officers have not yet been eradicated. There are frequent cases of abuse of official authority due to a misunderstanding of the interests of the service, disregard for the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of citizens. The unwillingness to carry out long-term work on documenting the criminal activities of individuals pushes some police officers to the path of psychological pressure on those detained and brought, falsification of materials on administrative offenses, illegal detention of persons. Beating citizens as a result of attempts to solve a crime by any means becomes a consequence of a sense of impunity and permissiveness, the absence of proper moral and psychological attitudes, a low level of professional skill, general culture, professional deformation, and in some cases even moral degradation. In addition, issues of behavior and professional ethics of police officers were raised.

It is hoped that the study by police officers of Article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, materials on the practice of applying this norm by the European Court of Human Rights, the main provisions of the Convention against Torture, Cruel or Degrading Treatment or Punishment will contribute to the reduction of violence and unjustified cruelty by law enforcement officers towards citizens.

On June 26, members of the Public Council took part in the All-Ukrainian action for the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, within the framework of which the public organizations “M’ART” (Burov S.Yu.) and the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights (Tarasov V.V.) in Chernihiv held an action-exhibition in which they visually demonstrated the need to create a system for proper investigation of numerous cases of torture in Ukraine.

On September 1, 2012, another session was held in the system of in-service training for employees of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region, which was dedicated to human rights. The chairman of the Public Council under the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region, Lepekha A.G., took part in it.

As part of the All-Ukrainian Law Week, which was held in Ukraine from December 10 to 16, 2012 in accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine, a session was held in the system of in-service training for employees of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region. It was dedicated to human rights and the prevention of cases of torture and ill-treatment by police officers. The chairman of the Public Council under the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region, Lepekha A.G., and the secretary of the Public Council, Tarasov V.V., took part in it.

In 2012, the mobile group for monitoring the provision of human and civil rights and freedoms in the activities of the internal affairs bodies of the Chernihiv region continued its activities. At the meeting of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Chernihiv region on May 21, 2012, the schedules of the mobile group’s visits were agreed upon, and issues of providing them with vehicles were resolved. According to this schedule, in 2012, it was planned to visit 6 temporary detention centers (ITT). In fact, in 2012, the members of the mobile group visited 7 ITT.

The mobile group included representatives of public and charitable organizations of the Chernihiv region, such as: Chernihiv Women’s Human Rights Center, Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, the regional branch of the NGO “Public Control”, public organizations “Pravozashikshinik”, “M’ART”.

The mobile group for monitoring the protection of human and civil rights and freedoms in the activities of the internal affairs bodies of the Chernihiv region began its work in 2012 by visiting the ITT of the Chernihiv regional police department.

In addition, in 2012, members of the mobile group visited the ITT of the Ripkynsky, Shchorsky, Koryukivsky, Novgorod-Siversky, Semenivsky, Sosnytsky regional police departments.

Members of the mobile groups note that although the material condition and conditions in the ITT do not yet fully comply with European norms and standards, they have improved, and certain positive changes have taken place in the ITT of the region: all visited cells have supply and exhaust ventilation, individual sleeping places, tables for eating, chairs, bedside tables for storing detainees’ personal belongings, detainees have the right to receive food parcels without restrictions. All visited isolators are equipped with refrigeration equipment, new dishes. All ITT cells are equipped with 24-hour video surveillance. Courtyards for walks have been renovated. Members of the mobile groups had the opportunity to communicate with detainees in all inspected ITTs. There were no complaints about the conditions of detention, food, the use of illegal methods of interrogation, or unauthorized actions (night interrogations, beatings).

Also, in some regional departments, rooms for detainees that had not been operating for almost 2 years due to their non-compliance with European standards began to function after renovation. The rooms that are already operating are equipped with washbasins (open access to water), ventilation, a place to sit, bathrooms (in their absence – bio-toilets), and are provided with disposable dishes. The rooms have sufficient lighting. The rooms have become more spacious (at least 4 sq.m.).

Among the shortcomings identified, the members of the mobile group noted that in some ITTs bed linen needs to be updated, there are not enough detergents, towels, and personal hygiene products. In order to save money on heating, in some ITTs the appropriate temperature regime in the cells was not maintained. The reception rooms for citizens in all visited regional departments are locked, and citizens must obtain permission from the police officer on duty to visit them.

The above comments and recommendations were brought to the attention of the leadership of the relevant regional departments and the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The members of the mobile group handed over charitable assistance to the leadership of the Koryukiv regional police department: detergents for persons held in the temporary detention center.

Head of the Public Council under the Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region Lepekha A.G.

Secretary of the Public Council under the Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Chernihiv region Tarasov V.V.