White Book On Violations Of Human Rights And the Rule of Law in Ukraine
(November 2013 — March 2014)
Published: April 2014
By: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
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Introduction
This study covers the period from the end of November 2013 to the end of March 2014 and deals with the situation with human rights and the rule of law that emerged in Ukraine as a result of a violent seizure of power and unconstitutional coup.
As a factual basis, a careful monitoring of Ukrainian, Russian and some Western media reports was conducted, covering statements and announcements made by the leaders of the “new government” of Ukraine and their supporters, numerous eyewitness accounts, including those posted on the Internet, as well as records based on observations and interviews with people on the scene, and those collected by non-governmental organization The Foundation for Researching Problems in Democracy, and the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights.
Excerpts from the basic international documents on human rights whose universal regulations and standards have been violated in Ukraine during the indicated period precede each section of this study.
We do not claim to report exhaustively in this White Book all tragic events that took place in Ukraine. Nonetheless, the present list of the most flagrant violations of fundamental international norms of human rights and the rule of law committed in this country, by ultranationalist, neo-Nazi, and extremist forces which have monopolized the Euromaidan protests, far from being exhaustive, gives enough grounds to claim that such violations were widespread.
The essential task of this White Book is to focus on facts to which the international community and key international human rights bodies, as well as relevant nongovernmental organizations have not shown proper and impartial attention.
The history of the twentieth century has given tragic lessons which would be irresponsible and also at times just unlawful to ignore.
The White Book is a signal to those who have forgotten this or pretend to forget. Those who cynically, in pursuit of their own selfish interests and under the guise of good intentions and pseudo-democratic demagogy, are plunging a multimillion multi-ethnic Ukrainian population into extremism, lawlessness, and a deep crisis of national identity.
The onslaught of racism, xenophobia, ethnic intolerance, the glorification of the Nazis and their Banderite sycophants should be brought to a speedy end through the united efforts of the Ukrainian people and the international community. The alternative is fraught with so devastating consequences for peace, stability, and democratic development in Europe, that it is absolutely necessary to prevent further escalation of this situation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS (81 pages)
- 05: Introduction
- 07: Violations of the right to life, violations of public order and safety, the use of torture, inhuman treatment and committed iniquity
- 29: Interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state
- 35: Weapons, equipment, and tactics of the Euromaidan participants. Evidence of deliberately committed violence and provocations by the so-called “Peaceful demonstrators”
- 41: Violations of the right for freedom of thought and belief, including political beliefs, and violations of the right to express them. Restrictions on freedom of the media and intimidation of dissidents. Censorship.
- 51: Discrimination along ethnic and linguistic lines, xenophobia and racial extremism. Incitement of racial hatred
- 59: Religious intolerance, including threats to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate
- 63: Conclusion
