[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 115 (Tuesday, August 16, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        HUMAN RIGHTS IN UKRAINE

                                 ______


                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 16, 1994

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, Ukraine, one of the most important countries 
in Europe today, is in the midst of a profound transition from a colony 
of a multinational empire to a full-fledged state. One relatively 
bright spot, despite considerable political and economic difficulties, 
has been in the critical area of respect for human rights.
  By all standards, human rights are much more widely respected now 
than they were during Soviet rule, and citizens generally are free to 
speak, act and believe as they see fit. The Government's positive 
attitudes and policies toward its minorities have kept Ukraine from 
facing the kinds of interethnic conflicts that plague so many other 
countries in the region. Despite this real progress, however, there are 
several issues that cast a cloud over Ukraine's generally positive 
record.
  Ukraine's newly elected President Leonid Kuchma has issued an 
anticrime edict, similar to that of Russia's President Yeltsin, which 
violates international human rights standards and basic notion of due 
process and fairness. Under the edict, which is in effect until January 
1, suspects who have not been charged with a crime may be held in 
custody for up to 30 days. This is especially troubling in the context 
of a criminal justice system that already has serious problems. A 
recent review of criminal procedures by the General Procuracy of 
Ukraine, for example, pointed to numerous procedural violations, 
including that of 250 detained individuals whose cases have not come to 
trial for at least 18 months.
  Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned about the recent appointment of 
Volodymyr Radchenko as Interior Minister. Mr. Radchenko, a lieutenant-
general in Ukraine's Security Services, served in the KGB; in the 
1970's, he interrogated several notable political prisoners, including 
some members of the Ukrainian Helsinki monitoring group. While reputed 
to be tough on crime, an obviously critical issue in Ukraine and 
virtually all post-Soviet countries today, Radchenko's appointment in a 
country where the rule of law is not yet deeply rooted cannot help but 
raise flags of concern for the direction that Ukraine is set on.
  Mr. Speaker, on August 24, Ukrainians worldwide will celebrate the 
third anniversary of their declaration of independence. Against great 
odds, and confounding its detractors, Ukraine is not only surviving as 
a state but, with new leadership, increasingly confronting its many 
challenges. It is my hope that as Ukraine works to overcome the legacy 
of the past, its leadership will remember both the importance of human 
rights in crushing the Soviet empire and in building a genuinely 
democratic and prosperous state.

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