The Committee Chairman briefed on the Ukrainian laws that counteract torture and other methods of cruel treatment, dwelled upon the legislative provisions on improvement of conditions of the imprisoned, and called for taking action to fight corruption in the law-enforcement agencies.
Heather McGill conveyed concern of the international community concerning the scope of torture and other methods of cruel treatment in Ukraine. Speaking with the victims of torture and other methods of cruel treatment, their family members, lawyers, and representatives of the non-governmental organizations, Amnesty International´s researcher on Ukraine paid attention to the numerous instances of impunity of the law-enforcement officers.
V. Shvets admitted that the law-enforcement system had recently become a political tool of the party in power. He informed about the extended committee hearings on December 1, 2010 on the topic "On Observance of Human Rights in the Activity of the Internal Affairs Bodies." Representatives of the General Prosecution, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and human rights organisations attended the hearings.
Despite a significant deterioration in the observance of human rights and freedoms in Ukraine and growing interference of the authorities into the activity of mass media and law-enforcement bodies, V. Shvets assured the guests that the Committee was working on a daily basis to remedy the situation.
Heather McGill attended the Committee meeting on the invitation of V. Shvets.