Mr. Mevlüt ÇAVUŞOĞLU

President, Parliamentary Assembly

Council of Europe

Cc: Mr. Aleksei LOTMAN

Chairperson, Committee on the Environment,

Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs

Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe

6 July 2010, Kharkiv

Dear Mr. ÇAVUŞOĞLU,

We address you with regard to the serious violations of human rights and damage to the environment inflicted by the local authorities in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

In April 2010 PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs awarded Kharkiv with Europe Prize for its actions in the European domain. However, since then illegal construction works in the Kharkiv’s Horky Park and violent suppression of peaceful protests raised grave concern and put under question local authorities’ commitment to European values, including respect for the right to liberty, freedom of assembly, obligation to consult local population regarding important public decisions having an environmental impact.

On 20 May 2010 Kharkiv city authorities started logging trees in the city’s Horky Park without necessary prior public consultations and relevant permits obtained. Spontaneous protests by local residents were suppressed with the use of violence by private security guards employed by the city council. Several activists sustained injuries. The police being present during the events did not intervene and failed to protect the protestors. On the contrary, several activists were detained for disobedience to police orders. As a result – for the first time since 2004 – two such detainees, Andrei Yevarnitsky and Denis Chernega, were recognized by the Amnesty International as prisoners of conscience, because they have been sentenced for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly (see Amnesty International Public Statement of 18 June 2010, AI Index: EUR 50/008/2010).

Chronology of the events can be found in the appendix to this letter. We also draw your attention to the public appeal addressed to the Council of Europe Commissioner on Human Rights by a number of civil society organisations and human rights defenders

(http://www.khpg.org.ua/en/index.php?id=1275908780).

Taking into account the above concerns we urge you to request the PACE Committee on the Environment to review its decision on awarding Kharkiv the Europe Prize or at least to postpone presentation of the prize to the Kharkiv city authorities until the situation with illegal works in the Horky Park is resolved and violations of the human rights and freedoms are redressed. Otherwise the Europe Prize could be perceived as an undeserved decoration of the city authorities who have been continuously neglecting the rights and freedoms of Kharkiv residents. This would undermine the credibility of the Prize and the Council of Europe in general and send a wrong signal to the local community.

In support of this address please find attached a list of signatures of Kharkiv city residents.

Sincerely Yours,

Activists of the NGO “Green Front”