By Halya Coynash of Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group From left Aiden Aslin, Brahim Saadoun and Shaun Pinner Photo from the proxy Donetsk ’republic’ The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign is calling for the release of the three soldiers being held hostage by the Russian forces in Donetsk. On Saturday 25 June 12:00 we have a protest … Continue reading ‘Death sentences’ of British & Moroccan POWs in occupied Donbas show clearly why Russia must be driven out of all of Ukraine
Russia kills Minsk Agreement, with lives of over 300 Ukrainian hostages and POWs in danger
Halya Coynash Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group From left clockwise Hryhory Sinchenko, Yuri Shapovalov, Bohdan Kovalchuk, Bohdan Maksymenko, Pavlo Podvezko, Olena Fedoruk, Valery Matyushenko, Oleg Shevandin, Olena Pyekh, Marina Yurchak By ‘recognizing’ its proxy republics in Donbas and openly invading Ukrainian territory, Russia has unilaterally withdrawn from the Minsk Agreement. Since Russia had long used … Continue reading Russia kills Minsk Agreement, with lives of over 300 Ukrainian hostages and POWs in danger
Socialist who exposed Russia’s hypocrisy about Ukraine gets 6-year sentence for social media posts
Darya Polyudova in 2014 with a placard reading Ukraine, we are with you, in court in 2021 (second photo from Grani.ru) By Halya Coynash - republished from Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group A Russian military court has convicted Darya Polyudova of ‘justifying terrorism’ over a reposted photo and text on the social network VKontakte and of ‘public … Continue reading Socialist who exposed Russia’s hypocrisy about Ukraine gets 6-year sentence for social media posts
Neo=Nazi thugs attack LGBT Equality Festival in Lviv
Halya Coynash Kharkiv Human Human Rights Protection Group The Equality Festival events planned for this weekend in Lviv have been disrupted and the activists effectively – and with violence – driven out of the city. The police did not detain any of the young far-right thugs in masks who first harassed activists, then surrounded the … Continue reading Neo=Nazi thugs attack LGBT Equality Festival in Lviv
Human Rights body demands no Police collaboration with Azov xenophobes
Halya Coynash Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group Xenophobic statements just issued by members of the Azov Regiment can only compound mounting concern over reported collaboration between police and Azov Civic Corps activists in the Kyiv oblast. They are especially chilling in the light of plans announced by Ilya Kiva, the newly appointed head of the police … Continue reading Human Rights body demands no Police collaboration with Azov xenophobes
“Jewish pogroms in Ukraine” that we all missed
BY Halya Coynash Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group Russia’s Foreign Ministry is again aware of ‘pogroms’ that experienced researchers of anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Ukraine and human rights groups would seem to have not noticed. The ministry’s keeping the details to itself however The BBC Russian Service reports that Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Human … Continue reading “Jewish pogroms in Ukraine” that we all missed
President signs dangerously flawed ‘decommunization’ laws
Halya Coynash Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group President Poroshenko has signed highly contentious laws one of which effectively criminalizes public expression of views held by many Ukrainians. The assurance given that a bill will be tabled to rectify some of the problems appears to refer to only one of the laws and begs the question … Continue reading President signs dangerously flawed ‘decommunization’ laws
Continuing Obstruction of Odessa May 2 Investigation
Halya Coynash Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group Court rejection of a suit demanding access to forensic material connected with the events in Odessa on May 2, 2014 may not be breaking news, but it is yet another frustrating failure to understand the need for openness in this case. Russian propaganda has from the outset worked to … Continue reading Continuing Obstruction of Odessa May 2 Investigation
Odessa May 2 trial turns into farce
By Halya Coynash Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group Whatever the reasons for delays and flaws in investigating and prosecuting crimes related to the disturbances, fire and deaths on May 2, 2014 in Odessa, procrastination serves only the interests of Russian propaganda’s ‘massacre’ claims Forty-eight people died in Odessa on May 2, 2014 during disturbances in the city … Continue reading Odessa May 2 trial turns into farce
Torture as usual at Kyiv police station?
Bitter déjà vu as the police of a Kyiv police station are accused of beating up an underage activist, keeping him in custody for what they claim was an attempt to destroy a Roshen chocolates kiosk, and long denying him access to a lawyer Well-known journalist and recently elected MP, Ihor Lutsenko has accused the … Continue reading Torture as usual at Kyiv police station?