Kyiv, April 24th, 2014 – Yegor Sobolev, the head of the Lustration committee of Ukraine, described the process of lustration in Ukraine at a press briefing at the Ukrainian crisis media center.
He said that on April 23th a significant event for the Ukrainian justice took place. “For the first time in many years the scientific pedagogical legal community, which for years was used to delegate the judges required by the regime to High Council of Justice and to High Qualification Commission of Judges got out of control,” – said Yegor Sobolev. He said that one of the “architects of the current system of injustice” Sergei Kivalov in Odessa tried to use the scientific community to delegate his people to High Council of Justice and to High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, but most rectors refused to go to this meeting. “They have created their own advisory committee and held its first meeting yesterday. It was found that the vast majority of law universities realized that they must become independent, that the high task to form the part of High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission, assigned to them by law shall be enforced by new standards,”- said the head of Lustration committee.
Yegor Sobolev added that along with community activists, Odessa afghans, who forbade to imitate the nomination of people to higher supervisory bodies for judges, arrived to the meeting with Sergey Kivalov. “Local Odessites stopped this meeting on their own. But the actions of activists were supported by the decision of the court. Kyiv Pechersky District Court has ruled that such a meeting was illegitimate”- said the head of Lustration committee.
According to Yegor Sobolev, where activists, lawyers and human rights activists are united and act to start the process of cleaning the courts in their areas, it happens.
“The second good news as of yesterday – exactly the same process occurred in the appellate court in Donetsk region, where the judges rebelled and refused to vote for the old head, protégé of Victor Pshonka and chose a judge who had never held any positions,” – said Yegor Sobolev.
He appealed to all the government agencies that were authorized to form High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges with an appeal to hold open competitions for all the agencies that would delegate representatives there. “The key task of society now is to form normal agencies of judicial supervision and purification and we have to monitor and ensure that true professionals who will clear the system will come there” – he said.
At that Yegor Sobolev said that there is disappointing news from many courts. The judges elect as new chairmen the very people who have been dismissed by the law. “In our view, it is totally unacceptable situation; we collect the following information for each court, publish it and will consult with the public on what to do,” – said the head of Lustration committee.
According to him, this situation is a huge signal to the public that the problem is not only in the minds of the judges. “In my opinion, this is a huge reason for the courts to be totally cleared, that the lustration to be as deep as possible” – stressed Yegor Sobolev.
He added that the process of courts clearing mainly occurs without assistance and in many cases with antagonism to the current ruling coalition. “This is a huge signal that further purification of the courts should be made by people. We cannot rely on the parliament or the government and in general on those in power. Only citizens themselves, including human rights lawyer community, can make Ukrainian courts clear, “- said Yegor Soblyev. He said that on Saturday in Odessa the Congress of Advocates will be hosted, and it is essential that the lawyers were able to finally clean up their community.
The head of Lustration committee also addressed the parliamentary majority and the government demanding to immediately remove Sergei Kivalov, who took this position during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, from the post of the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice.”Put there a member of the ruling coalition, who will really clean the courts,” – he said.
Yegor Sobolev – Ukrainian community activist, chairman of lustration committee of Ukraine.
Photo: dyvys.in
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