19 April 2011, 14:12
The Committee Chairman informed the participants of the meeting about the law-making of the Committee, confirmed the state priority of observing the Council of Europe standards during the implementation of reforms, and called for considering the European experience of supporting human rights and freedoms.
The parties raised the subject of criminal justice reform in Ukraine. V. Shvets informed about several working groups set up to draft the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine.
Ms. Hanne Juncher expressed her concern with the state of justice in Ukraine, "Disturbing observations of the Council of Europe representatives will be voiced during the meeting of the Council of Europe leaders with the President of Ukraine. Ukraine will shortly start its six-month chairmanship over the Council of Europe, although it failed to settle the said issues, having been the member of the organization for sixteen years."
The parties also discussed the issues of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The participants of the meeting debated the possibility of creating national preventive tools in line with the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture.
Ms. Hanne Juncher stated that this mechanism had proved effective in 21 Council of Europe member states so far. However, the Council of Europe does not agree with the idea of setting up a respective panel under the Administration of the President of Ukraine, the head of which, appointed by the President, should select its members. "The Council of Europe insists that an independent body should be set up, including independent individuals representatives of the non-governmental organizations who would investigate the appeals jointly with the law-enforcement agencies. The primary goal is to eradicate the conflict of interests between the appealers and the investigators," declared Ms. Hanne Juncher.
Dwelling upon the observance of rights and freedoms of the imprisoned, V. Shvets informed about the bills on probation (Reg. No. 3412) and on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine (re humanization of criminal laws and organizational-legal prerequisites of probation) (Reg. No. 3413) registered in The Verkhovna Rada.
In the end of the meeting, the participants called for supporting the dialogue between the parties. The Committee Chairman assured the guests that the Committee always welcomes cooperation with the international institution and partners.