CoE Commissioner Muiznieks urges to deescalate tensions in Ukrainian society
KYIV, February 11. /UKRINFORM/. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks stresses the need to deescalate tensions in the Ukrainian society and to resolve the conflict in the political arena.
He said this at a news conference in Ukrinform on Monday, dedicated to his 6-day visit to Ukraine.
“Excessive force was used against protesters by law enforcement officers and others working with them in recent months in Ukraine. It is important to prevent any further violence and to ensure accountability for the serious human rights violations which have already occurred,” Muiznieks said.
The Commissioner stressed that there is a need to fill the legislative gaps in the area of freedom of peaceful assembly.
“The Ukrainian authorities have a responsibility to condemn unequivocally the police misconduct which occurred on a wide scale and ensure effective investigations into the violations which occurred, as well as to impose dissuasive sanctions”, underlined the Commissioner. “Of course, unless structural problems of the administration of justice are addressed, the long-standing problem of police impunity will continue to undermine public trust in institutions. Combating impunity presupposes a judiciary which is truly independent and shielded from outside pressure, as well as full respect of the principle of equality of arms. The functioning in practice of the new Criminal Procedure Code, as well as the absence of effective safeguards against ill-treatment (e.g. notification of custody and access to a lawyer), also need to be addressed as a matter of urgency,” the Commissioner emphasized.
According to Muiznieks, for 6 days in Ukraine he held meetings with Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska, as well as Deputy Minister of Justice, Prosecutor General, First Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Administration, and members and chairmen of various parliamentary committees, judges of the Supreme Court and higher specialized courts.
Back to news