Ukraine: Report on Human Rights

The Ukrainian Forum of Human Rights organisations has published a critical report on the human rights situation in Ukraine during 2005. The forum notes a considerable improvement in freedom of speech and the mass media and a greater level of openness within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine to co-operate with human rights organisations and to prosecute human rights violations committed by police units. On the other hand the forum criticises the lack of access to information for citizens on the activities of state bodies, and mentions that no steps have yet been taken to safeguard the right to privacy and to put an end to illegal wiretapping and interception of electronic correspondence. The Forum states a constant violation of the right of individuals to legal redress, while the judiciary and the prosecutor?s office are estimated to be the most corrupt state bodies in Ukraine. Finally the human rights forum claims a public investigation on the deportation of 11 asylum seekers from Uzbekistan in February 2006 which they assess as a violation of domestic legislation and international commitment of Ukraine. www.maidanua.org