QUESTION OF THE DAY

Yevhen ZAKHAROV, Cochairman of Kharkiv Group to Defend Human Rights:

“I would put it this way: we cannot speak of political prisoners in Ukraine. However, there is a clearly developed classification: prisoner of conscience, political prisoner, and a person persecuted for political reasons. The authorities in this country, in their struggle against opposition — whether the Left, or Serhiy Holovaty's We Association, or currently, the Kaniv Four — organize inspections into the activity of enterprises and mass media associated with such opposition. Such inspections are carried in flagrant violation of the law. For example, a flourishing publishing house, respected in its region, fulfilled an order for production of posters featuring Yevhen Marchuk. No sooner had they finished, than officers from the Department to Combat Organized Crime arrived, sealed the premises (in violation of the law), and said they had done so for inspection. We have registered many such incidents, and we follow them closely. Such instances should be called facts of persecution for political reasons.”