Military formations in eastern Ukraine should be disarmed immediately – CoE Commissioner

Combatting impunity in eastern Ukraine should be accompanied by a security sector reform undertaken with full respect for human rights and the rule of law.

This was stated by Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, releasing the report following his visit to Ukraine within June 29 – July 3 2015.

The Commissioner is dismayed by persistent reports of cases of unlawful and arbitrary detention, including incommunicado detention and detention in secret places, summary executions, torture and ill-treatment, and the lack of accountability for these grave human rights violations in eastern Ukraine.

“Any remaining military formations which have not been fully integrated in the regular armed forces or the police and continue to act outside the normal chain of command should be disarmed and disbanded without further delay.”

The Commissioner also repeated his concerns about the situation of 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) whose plight had been a focus of his attention since the beginning of the conflict. According to the Commissioner, the issues of the IDPs in Ukraine should be addressed in a systematic manner through the preparation of a specific Action Plan covering the most pressing needs and protection gaps for IDPs.