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We expect you Mr High Commissioner to always be principled and vocal, avoid double-standards, and hold powerful States as accountable for human rights violations as those you might identify as friendly ones. We see a worrisome trend in the Office of the High Commissioner to neglect human rights violations in Europe. We strongly welcome though the work done by your Office since April in Ukraine.

The NGO Soldiers’ Mothers of Saint Petersburg recently denounced the deaths of Russian soldiers in Ukraine and the silence of the authorities in this regard. The NGO specifically denounced that families and the soldiers themselves were not informed correctly. This public acknowledgement of Russia’s direct involvement in Ukraine was punished by the authorities in Moscow by labeling the NGO “foreign agent.”

The government of Ukraine needs to do more to bring local human rights defenders into the process of bringing peace and justice to their troubled, divided country, even if the International Criminal Court (ICC) is allowed to take on an extended role of its own there.

Ukrainian authorities should refer situation on the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) until the state becomes a member of the ICC by acceding to the Rome Statute

The sense of impunity for all the parties in Ukraine holding weapons must end. Ukraine’s Government needs to ensure that the investigation into violence by law enforcement and State agents is credible and transparent, bringing those responsible to justice. Cooperation by all with international mechanisms must also be ensured.

In March 2013, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the protection of human rights defenders. It establishes principles and standards for States to create an enabling environment for human rights defenders. One year after its adoption, the Human Rights House Network calls upon States to implement this resolution.

In many parts of the Balkans, Caucasus and Eastern Europe human rights defenders face threats and violence, slander and intimidations, and are the targets of new laws restricting their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and simply to work to defend human rights.

Side-event at the 25th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council session aiming at highlighting the need to ensure accountability for human rights violations in Ukraine.

The repressive laws adopted on 16 January 2014 by the Ukrainian parliament have been repealed on 28 January 2014 but violence in the streets of Kyiv and many other cities of the country continues, with police forces aiming at hurting peaceful protestors and not distinguishing between peaceful and violent protestors. PACE condemned the use of violence in Ukraine.