05 February 2014. Ukraine’s passing of an amnesty law signed by President Viktor Yanukovich on 31 January 2014 is a meaningless gesture, says Ukrainian CSO GURT Resource Centre, and global civil society alliance CIVICUS. They urge the Ukrainian Parliament to amend the recently passed amnesty law by withdrawing conditions placed on amnesty for protestors.
Law No. 4021-3 signed by the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, came into force on 2 February 2014. According to this law, amnesty will be granted to protesters charged with the commission of offences from 26 December last year if they vacate government buildings and unblock Grushevskogo Street in downtown Kiev and other streets and squares across the country within 15 days.
“The law puts conditions on protestors without any requisite assurance that the demand of the protestors to hold an early election will be met,” said Bohdan Maslych, Executive Director of GURT. “Ukrainian authorities need to address the underlying causes of public discontent in the country.”
According to a report released by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office on 30 January, nearly 250 protesters have been detained or arrested since anti-government demonstrations began in late November 2013.
Protest group EuroMaidan SOS has identified 27 missing activists who are feared to have been abducted by pro-government forces. On 30 January, Dmytro Bulatov, a leader of the protest group Automaidan, was discovered severely beaten outside the capital, Kiev. Dmytro Bulatov, who went missing on 22 January this year, has accused his abductors of severe physical abuse including “crucifying” him and slashing his face and ear.
Despite the creation of the Temporary Inquiry Commission to investigate illegal use of force against protestors by security agencies, accountability for violence committed against protestors remains elusive.
“Ukraine’s government has a responsibility to fully and impartially investigate law enforcement agencies’ use of brute force against protesting citizens, who participated in principled acts of civil disobedience in sub-zero temperatures against an increasingly authoritarian regime,” said Tor Hodenfield, Policy and Advocacy Officer at CIVICUS.
CIVICUS and GURT Resource Centre urge the Government of Ukraine to take immediate steps to: (i) remove conditionality from amnesty provisions for protestors arrested since 26 December; (ii) issue policy directions to law enforcement agencies to cease harassment and brutality against protestors; and (iii) ensure an impartial investigation including through the Temporary Inquiry Commission of all cases of use of excessive force against protestors.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
CIVICUS was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens’ freedom of association are challenged.
GURT Resource Centre is the leading national centre for societal information and expertise. Since 1995 we have been committed to better Ukraine through strengthening civil society. GURT plays a role of the communication, knowledge and resource platform for active citizens – agents of societal change from all regions of Ukraine.
