ConflictBarometer_2016

EUROPE
UKRAINE (OPPOSITION)
Intensity: 3 | Change: | Start: 2013
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
Opposition Bloc, Opposition groups
et al. vs. government
system/ideology
The violent crisis over the orientation of the political and socioeconomic
system between the Opposition Bloc (OB) and
various opposition groups, on the one hand, and the government
of President Petro Poroshenko, on the other, continued.
Throughout the year, militants conducted approx. 30 violent
attacks, especially in the oblasts of Dnipropetrovsk and
Kiev, killing three persons and leaving several injured. Attacks
mostly targeted individuals, such as MPs, city councillors,
and political activists, but also offices of government
parties, banks, and private property. For instance, on February
16, Dnipropetrovsk City Council and member of OB, Oleh
Hryhoruk, was injured by several people. However, most incidents
remained unsolved, with no one claiming responsibility.
While governmental representatives labelled the majority
of attacks as acts of terrorism, allegedly conducted to jeopardise
political stability, OB repeatedly blamed the government
for repression, insufficient protection of freedom of speech,
and failing the investigations.
Furthermore, alleged pro-government militants, including
several right-wing nationalists [→ Ukraine (right-wing militants)],
acted against oppositional and Russian media on several
occasions. For instance, on February 25, a group of up
to 50 persons from the social movement Azov Civil Corps
protested in front of the Inter TV office in Kiev, blocking the
entrance for two hours. On April 1, the OSCE reported an arson
attack on the office of the TV channel Konotop in Sumy,
in the eponymous oblast. On May 24, a journalist of the TV
channel Hromadske, Anatoly Ostapenko, was injured in the
city of Zaporizhzhya, in the eponymous oblast, when three
men attacked him. On July 20, the independent journalist,
Pavel Sheremet, known for his criticism of political authorities
and anti-corruption investigations, was killed by an IED
mounted to his car in the city of Kyiv. Moreover, on September
4, around 20 protesters gathered outside the Inter TV office
in the city of Kyiv, demanding a change of the editorial
policies as well as the dismissal of the Deputy Director Ihor
Shuvalov. Moreover, they hurled smoke bombs into the office.
Authorities of the Foreign Ministry of Russia condemned
the attack, calling on Poroshenko to investigate the circumstances
[→ Russia – Ukraine]. On several occasions, Dunja
Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, expressed
concern about the developments in Ukraine.
In the course of the year, the government continued to pursue
judicial and executive action against oppositional groups,
media, and parties as well as supporters of the former government
of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, and alleged
pro-Russian activists. On January 25, the Supreme Court of
Ukraine overturned an appeal of the banned Communist Party
of Ukraine to challenge the Decommunization Law, allowing
the government to continue prohibiting Communist and National
Socialist ideology and their symbols. Consequently,
on February 4, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a resolution
to rename one district, five towns, including the fourthlargest
city of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk, and 169 villages. On
June 30, police arrested former Communist MP, Alla Aleksandrovska,
on charges of terrorism, violation of Ukraine's territorial
integrity and attempted bribing of MPs. Furthermore, one
month later, police detained Oleksandr Yefremov, ex-member
of Yanukovych's former Party of Region, on similar charges.
Subsequently, OB criticized the Security Service of Ukraine
(SBU) and the General Prosecutor, demanding a thorough investigation.
Furthermore, the government enforced measures against oppositional
and Russian media [→ Russia – Ukraine]. For instance,
on February 24, authorities expelled and banned Russian
journalist Maria Stolyarova from entering the country for
up to three years due to alleged threats to national security.
On April 20, Poroshenko signed the law on cinema, tightening
restrictions on the distribution and broadcast of audio-visual
material. Social groups as well as the OSCE criticized that
the amendment would allow a ban of all Russian films produced
or released since the beginning of 2014. On April 26,
Ukrainian authorities revoked the work permit of Savik Shuster,
host of a political TV show in which guests could rate the
government.
A political reformation within the Ukrainian parliament occurred
in the first half of the year, when former prime minister
Arseny Yatseniuk had resigned after accusations of still being
involved in corruption. For the same reason, several parties,
including the Fatherland Party, left the governing coalition,
led by Bloc Petro Poroshenko and the People's Front.
Concerning the 2014 Maidan killings, the 2014 Odessa
clashes, and the overthrow of the Yanukovych government,
international organizations repeatedly accused the government
and national law enforcement agencies of investigation
failure.
For instance, on May 2, EU ambassador to Ukraine, Jan
Tombinski, urged the government to carry out an independent
and transparent investigation. tfr
53
UKRAINE (RIGHT-WING MILITANTS)
Intensity: 3 | Change: | Start: 2014
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
Svoboda, Right Sector, Azov Battalion,
National Corps vs. government
system/ideology, national power
The violent crisis over national power and ideology between
right-wing political parties, including National Corps, Right
Sector and Svoboda, and militant groups, such as Azov Battalion,
on the one hand, and the government, on the other, continued.
While attacks against government institutions and the
police decreased compared to last year, right-wing militants
increasingly targeted the LGBT community and other minorities.
On June 24, the Prosecutor General charged four members of
the Right Sector with terrorist activities. Azov Battalion, which
is also involved in the war in Donbas [→ Ukraine (Donbas)],
officially created a political party, called National Corps, on