By researching open sources and monitoring the observance of human rights in Ukraine, the Kiev branch of Solidaritätsnetz International has detected a possibly new way of repressive methods.
We have repeatedly criticized the Kiev authorities for using the Security Service of Ukraine (“SBU”) in areas that are not typical for the special services. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe told Ukraine that the security services should not be given full freedom of action in order to avoid violation of human rights and freedoms and that the Assembly proposes to deprive such services of the right to conduct criminal investigations, arrests and detentions.
In addition to the repeated participation of “SBU” in political processes, we unmasked a new form of unlawful interference of this structure in the work of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
As our observers found out, a certain Mrs. Marina Prilutska (Марина Прилуцька) was dismissed from her position in the Service for the enforcement of court decisions in the Kiev region because of a letter from the “SBU”. This letter indicated the possible Russian citizenship of Mrs. Prilutskaya.
According to all the norms of law and standards of a democratic society, legal facts are established either by agreements between the parties or in court. As we know, the letter is not a procedural document establishing a fact. This is a vicious and shameful practice that was practiced during the Soviet totalitarian regime, when a person was deprived of his post at the direction of the political special service.
Solidaritätsnetz International wants to track and understand this situation. We will express our concern to the Minister of Justice of Ukraine and instruct the representative in Ukraine to carefully sort out the case in order to inform European democratic institutions.