United States Department of State

Ukraine: Human Rights United States Department of State

Publisher Marketing: Ukraine is a republic with a presidential-parliamentary system of government. The constitution provides for a directly elected president, a unicameral parliament (Verkhovna Rada), and a prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament. The October 2012 elections for the 450-seat parliament and parliamentary by-elections in December did not meet international standards for fairness or transparency. Authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. Security forces committed human rights abuses. "Berkut" riot police used batons and other forms of physical force on November 30 to clear 300 hundred protesters from Kyiv's Independence Square (Maidan Nezhalezhnosti) who had peacefully assembled to express dissatisfaction with the government. On December 1, an estimated 500,000 people joined demonstrations in Kyiv's city center in solidarity with the protesters. At year's end the "EuroMaidan" civic movement continued to occupy Independence Square and several adjacent streets. The most serious human rights problem during the year was increased government interference with, and pressure on, media outlets, including government tolerance of increased levels of violence toward journalists. The second major human rights problem was intensified pressure on civil society, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and civic activists. The third major problem was the practice of politically motivated prosecutions and detentions, including the continued imprisonment of former prime minister Yuliya Tymoshenko. Other human rights problems included: abuse of persons in custody, including beating and alleged torture of detainees and prisoners; harsh and unhealthy conditions in prisons and detention facilities; an inefficient and corrupt judicial system; inadequate provisions for asylum seekers; pervasive corruption in all branches of government; societal violence against women and abuse of children; societal discrimination against and harassment of ethnic minorities; trafficking in persons; discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons; discrimination toward persons with HIV/AIDS that endangered their prospects for treatment; limitations on workers' right to strike; and forced labor.