Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine marks 25th anniversary, continues its work (12/26/04)

Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine marks 25th anniversary, continues its work

by Walter Bodnar

Twenty-five years ago, in May 1979, Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine (AHRU), was established. Seven trustees - William Bahrey, Walter Bodnar, Michael Chaikivsky, Daniel Marchishin, Ihor Olshaniwsky, John Oryniak and Ewhen Perejma - met in attorney Ted Romankow's office and signed the articles of incorporation, making the organization legal and valid, on December 4, 1980.

The articles of incorporation, among other things, stated that: "The purposes for which this incorporation is formed are to establish a human rights organization capable of recognizing human rights problems in USSR in general and in the Ukrainian SSR in particular, identifying and assisting the efforts of the Kyiv-based Ukrainian Public Group to Promote and Implement the Helsinki Accords and to identify the aspirations of and to assist in the achievement of human rights for all persons and communities in Ukraine."

This was a tall order and an ambitious plan. For the past 25 years AHRU has fulfilled its promise.

Since then, much water has flowed from the Dnipro into the Black Sea. There have been cataclysmic global events such as the Chornobyl disaster, the fall of the Berlin wall and, ultimately, the fall of the "evil empire." Out of that seismic convulsion, Ukraine surfaced as an independent nation. Perhaps the rebirth of its independence came too easily, and Ukraine was not prepared for it.

There were no battles, no heroes and no myths created about Ukraine's final struggle for independence. In fact, the vacillating government of Ukraine in place during the Moscow "putsch" in 1991 was not sure if it would join new independence activists or continue to support the old Soviet guard. Lists of individuals to be arrested were prepared in advance - just in case the "putsch" failed and the Soviet Union continued to exist as before. A small group of dissidents and human rights activists became fragmented and weakened, and ultimately fell short of imbuing the population of Ukraine with ideals of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights.

After that propitious event in 1991, a number of individuals advised AHRU to dissolve - stating that all of the human rights problems in Ukraine would now be solved. We wished it were true. In our naivete and euphoria, we rejoiced for Ukraine, but the legacy of the 74 years of Soviet domination lingered on.

Today, after 13 years of independence, Ukraine still is beleaguered by a multitude of seemingly insurmountable problems, such as denial of human rights, lack of freedom of the press, persecution and murders of members of the press, government media control, corruption, a stagnant economy and unemployment of major proportions - causing large segments of the population to seek employment abroad, trafficking of women and children to foreign slave markets, and the spread of AIDS.

There are other problems: a lack of meaningful U.S. support in the political and economic arenas, as well as a lack of European support, seriously flawed elections and intimidation of voters, attempted assasination of political opponents, and continuation of Russification through print and broadcast media. Russia's President Vladimir Putin was allowed to invest large sums of money ($600 million) in the presidential election campaign in Ukraine, and his visits to Ukraine were used to support Viktor Yanukovych.

AHRU reached its peak of activity in the 1980s - the period of its most intensive and productive activism. Due to attrition of membership and a lessening of financial support, the volume of its work has diminished, however, its sense of purpose has not. The most recent events in Ukraine prove that there is much work to be done in Ukraine and violations of human rights in Ukraine continue.

Human Rights Ombudsperson Nina Karpachova reported recently that approximately 12,000 people in 2002 were subjected to torture and suffered ill-treatment in the prisons of Ukraine. AHRU has received numerous appeals for help from individuals in Ukraine who have been beaten, falsely arrested, denied due process of law, and persecuted by police and procurators, instead of being protected by them.

In the face of this reality, AHRU vows to continue its work whenever and wherever it is needed. As in the past, AHRU will continue writing letters in the defense of the mistreated and will appeal to people of good will to assist in this endeavor.

* * *

Prior to the October 31, presidential election in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst warned numerous representatives of Ukraine's government to stop their violations in the election campaign. This information was conveyed to Bozhena Olshaniwsky, president of AHRU. in a telephone call on November 5 from Jim Heller, human rights officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.

Mr. Heller reported that Ambassador Herbst was grateful to receive a letter from an American constituent (Ms. Olshaniwsky, president of Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine) dated October 24, which pointed out violations of human rights in the presidential campaign in Ukraine, prompting him to take action. Mr. Heller also related that most of the Pora students were released from prisons with the exception of several in Chernihiv.

The AHRU letter stated: "We are alarmed and extremely upset about the turn of events in Ukraine - especially occurrences on October 22, that could only be categorized by the name 'Black Friday.' The attacks by the police on students from the group Pora in western, southern and eastern Ukraine, an explosive device thrown into the office of Prosvita in Lviv, amassing of armed forces in Kyiv, appear as acts of aggression and persecution of civilians by police whose job is to protect the people of Ukraine." In her letter to Ambassador Herbst, Ms. Olshaniwsky also pointed out torture in prisons of Ukraine and intimidation and coersion of voters to vote for the establishment candidate Viktor Yanukovych.

Similar letters were also sent by AHRU to: presidents (Ukraine and U.S.), the secretary general of the U.N., ambassadors, consuls, political candidates and U.S. senators and representatives. Since the "Orange Revolution" started in Ukraine, AHRU wrote a series of other letters pertaining to current events in Kyiv and the necessity and advisability of U.S. involvement in the mediating process.

Walter Bodnar is a leading activist of Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine.

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