Results of the survey of persons held in Kyiv ITTs. Monitoring of detention conditions in ITTs.

The International Society for Human Rights – Ukrainian Section (ISHR-US) has conducted monitoring of the state of the implementation of rights and freedoms for persons held in Kyiv ITTs, as well as the conditions of their detention in the aforementioned specialised institutions.

Letter to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine regarding the resolution of the issue of convicts receiving parcels and deliveries

Penal System of Russia

As of 1 September 2008, there were 893,100 people held in institutions of the Penal System (UIS), including 734,900 in 758 correctional colonies, and 148,500 in 216 pre-trial detention centres, 7 prisons, and 164 facilities operating in SIZO mode.

The authorities have lost interest in prison staff

In Chernihiv, a round table was held on the topic “Ensuring the social and legal protection of penal system employees—a guarantee of observing the rights of convicts”.

Prisoners convicted their own ‘defender’

The Leninskyi District Court of Vinnytsia has satisfied the lawsuit of two prisoners of the Stryzhavka Correctional Colony (SVK) No. 81 against the head of the Vinnytsia Human Rights Group (VHP), Dmytro Hroisman.

Comments on the Ukrainian side’s commentary regarding the Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee, prepared by ‘Donetsk Memorial’

Implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Last year, Ukraine reported to the UN Human Rights Committee. Based on the results of the report’s consideration, the Committee obliged Ukraine to provide answers to certain questions in the recommendations within one year. Fragment of the Ukrainian side’s commentary regarding the Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee

Public oversight of prisons: an effective tool or a simulation of prisoner rights protection?

A press conference on this topic was held in Kyiv on 17 September at the “Ukrainian News” information agency. It was attended by journalists, representatives of non-governmental organisations, and representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the State Department for the Execution of Criminal Punishments.

Observatory commissions are being formed in Russia

Executive Director of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Nina Tagankina, has appealed to the leaders of Russian public organisations with a proposal to take an active part in forming supervisory commissions to exercise public oversight over the observance of human rights in places of detention.

Hunger strike in Zamkova Colony No. 58

Several convicts at Zamkova Colony No. 58 began a hunger strike a few days ago following a beating by staff.

THE FINAL OF THE REIN-RING GAME WILL TAKE PLACE IN KIROVOHRAD CORRECTIONAL COLONY NO. 6

Conducting actions, trainings, and various public events is becoming a good tradition of the correctional facility located within the city. This time, the initiators of the event were participants in the mutual aid group for HIV-infected prisoners.

Prosecutor’s office reports to human rights defenders on the investigation of torture cases

On 26 June, as part of the “Against Torture” campaign, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union sent information to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine about facts of torture in all regions of Ukraine, which had been received and verified by human rights defenders. In August, the UHHRU began receiving responses.