The effects of the four months of fighting are not restricted to the Donbas region. In addition
to receiving increasing numbers of internally displaced persons leaving the conflict area, 118 the
other parts of Ukraine have also been affected by the conflict. Partial mobilization, decreed by
Parliament on 23 July, is expected to call up an additional 50,000 men and women aged
between 18 and 60, including eligible IDPs. This has triggered protests especially from
relatives of people being mobilized, but also on social media.
There has been a rise in violent incidents in Ukraine targeting local officials that would seem
to be coordinated. For example, the mayor of Kremenchuk (Poltava region) was shot dead and
a rocket attack was launched on the home of the mayor of Lviv; both incidents occurred within
24 hours of each other, on 25 and 26 July. Bomb threats have increased in most of the major
cities in Ukraine over the past month. In reaction, law enforcement measures and emergency
preparedness have been increased.
Ukrainians will also be facing more economic difficulties due to the financial implications of
the continuing security operation in the east, which is now entering its fifth month. On 31 July,
Parliament authorized changes to the national budget allocating an additional 9 billion UAH
(about 607 million USD) for the conduct of the security operation in the east and 2 billion
UAH (about 140 million USD) for the rebuilding and revitalization of the east.
Investigations into the Maidan violence of November 2013 – February 2014 continued; 445
cases of unlawful acts against demonstrators have been open of which 114 cases of unlawful
police or other law enforcement actions are under investigation.119 The investigations also
continued into the 2 May violence in Odesa. The impartiality of the ongoing processes must be
assured to dispel any concerns related to the investigations.
In the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, harassment and discrimination continued against
Ukrainian nationals, Crimean Tatar and other minorities. No serious attempts have been made
to investigate allegations of human rights abuses committed by the so-called Crimean selfdefense forces following the March “referendum”. Meanwhile complaints against the selfdefense forces continued. The number of IDPs from Crimea is now more than 16,000
according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The continued flow
could be attributed to increasing human rights restrictions, which particularly affect members
of minorities, and more broadly to the tense security environment, compounded by fighting in
the east of Ukraine.
The transformation of Ukraine into a fully democratic society, with no place for corruption,
was among the key demands of the Maidan protestors and civil society activists, who have
since been advocating for reforms. However, many in civil society consider that the central
Government has been unreceptive to private initiatives and recommendations.
As part of its European Union aspirations and required reforms, and in order to address the
multiple issues raised in this and previous reports by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, (OHCHR) the Government should develop a multi-year
human rights national plan of action. OHCHR reiterates its readiness to work with the
Government in this regard, in close cooperation with the international community, regional
organizations and the United Nations Country Team.
118
As of 14 August the number of IDPs in Ukraine was more than 155,800, according to UNHCR, of which
139,621 were from the east.
119
For the period November 2013 until 1 August 2014, according to the General Prosecution Office.
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