Paris, January 24, 2014 – A week of escalating protests has reportedly resulted in at least four people dead, dozens missing and hundreds injured, including 42 journalists. Since President Viktor Yanukovych announced his decision, on 21 November 2013, not to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union, the scope and intensity of protest has increased, and has been met with escalating violent repression. FIDH is deeply concerned by the rise in violence and calls for the opening of effective dialogue to resolve the conflict. In light of these events, FIDH also calls for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to shed light on human rights violations and sanction those responsible.
The adoption of repressive laws on 17 January 2014 has further fueled the violence, turning the protests into systematic clashes with the Berkut special police forces. The recent laws severely punish protests, criminalise libel, and restrict civil organisations from receiving foreign funding, labeling them as “foreign agents”.
“These laws blatantly violate the international human rights obligations of Ukrainian authorities. They have been instrumental in the escalation of violence. They must be repealed immediately” , said Karim Lahidji, President of FIDH.
On January 22, an entire crowd watched in horror as a protester was brutally beaten by two officers and fell to his death from the top of the Dynamo stadium. That same day, Yuriy Verbicki was kidnapped from hospital. His dead body was subsequently found in a forest. Some special forces members have published photos and videos of protesters being ill-treated on their personal webpages, including the video of a naked man, beaten and humiliated in front of other policemen. Dozens of other protesters have reportedly been kidnapped and beaten on the outskirts of the city. The exact number of injured protesters is unknown, as people are refusing to go to hospitals, where they are likely to be arrested by the police. Protesters have organised their own mobile medical service and even a police service.
“Protests in Ukraine started absolutely peacefully. There was a great feeling of solidarity: people demanding change and dialogue”, said Tolekan Ismailova, FIDH Vice-President, who visited Kiev in early December. “Now people are desperate, they have lost all trust in the government and state institutions. Law-enforcing bodies enjoy complete impunity. An independent commission of inquiry is needed to report on the human rights violations, identify and prosecute their authors”, she added.