88. On 15 April, a draft law on the prohibition of propaganda of same-sex sexual relations aimed at children, which has been condemned by the UN human rights mechanisms, as well as the Council of Europe, was withdrawn from Parliament. However, another draft law (Nr. 0945), contemplating similar provisions, technically remains under consideration, despite a motion for its withdrawal. 89. Acknowledging the need for confidence-building between various communities in society, there have been some attempts by human rights NGOs in the Donetsk region to organize discussions aimed at breaking the stereotypes that exist in the society about tensions between different groups and to engage in dialogue. On 16 April in Lutsk (western Ukraine), local civil society activists held a round table discussion on mutual understanding with representatives of national minorities of the region. Representatives of the local chapter of the Right Sector, Community Sector, Auto-Maidan, the Russian Cultural Centre and the Polish Cultural Society took part in this event. V. PARTICULAR HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES IN THE EAST A. The right to life, liberty and security 90. The HRMMU has received credible reports regarding the increasing numbers and presence of well-organized armed persons in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, which in some towns are forming so-called “self-defence” units. These armed groups are seizing and occupying more and more public and administrative buildings, including those of the Donetsk regional administration, the Prosecutor, the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as police departments in various towns, mostly in the northern part of the Donetsk region and parts of Luhansk region. These illegal take-overs of administration buildings (such as the Donetsk Regional State Administration and the Regional Department of the Security Service of Ukraine in Luhansk) by both armed and unarmed persons were done so with political demands for regionalisation, and at times reportedly separatism. 91. A number of regions self-proclaimed their “sovereignty”, for example on 7 April, there was the announcement by those occupying the Regional Administration Building in Donetsk of the establishment of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic”; on 27 April a similar announcement was made in Luhansk concerning the establishment of the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic”. 92. The acquiescence of law enforcement bodies in the illegal seizure and occupation of public and administrative buildings in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has been observed, raising questions regarding its implications for the administration of justice and the rule of law, including the prompt and effective investigation into reported criminal acts. This raises serious concerns regarding residents’ access to legal remedies, due process and overall guarantees for human rights protection. 93. This has contributed to a situation where armed persons, now formed into illegal groups, operate and run towns with impunity, for example in the town of Slovyansk located in the northern part of the Donetsk region. There has been a noted shift of apparent ‘control’ 50 | P a g e