February 18, 2014

The Charity Foundation “Maidan of Foreign Affairs” expresses its deep sorrow with regard to the death in Kyiv on February 18, 2014 Ukrainian citizens and the police officers. We would like to offer our condolences to the families of the late ones. We would also like to express the warm words of support and wishes of full recovery to those who was wounded and suffered.

The “Maidan of Foreign Affairs” condemns the violence as a form of public dialogue and reconfirms its belief in the bedrock meaning of human life, dignity and human rights.In this regard, we consider the statement of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara on the cause of the outbreak of violence on February 18, 2014 is aimed at disinformation and disorientation of the world community of the essence of the recent events in Kyiv. It also intended to justify the actions of the ruling party and the Government that for a long time have been responding to the demands of social change with repressions and pressure upon the civil activists.

It did not go unnoticed that the events of February 18, 2014 unfolded in correspondence with the widely discussed scenario that, with the high probability, has been imposed upon Ukrainian Government by one of the neighboring countries. The escalation of violence has happened right after several unofficial visits of high ranked representatives of that country to Ukraine. It is necessary to note that high ranked representatives of that country repeatedly called in the media for the resolution of the crisis in Ukraine by the use of force. It is difficult not to take notice of the fact that the escalation happened in the middle of the ongoing negotiations on providing Ukraine with the next credit tranche from that country.

It needs to be underlined that the intensification of the protests on February 18, 2014 was directly determined by the refusal of the Party of Regions and the Ukrainian Government to fulfill the declared consent to find ways of resolving ongoing political crisis and denial of considering any options of Constitutional reform or changes that could have lessened the confrontation. The direct cause of the violent clashes was the exceeded and unmotivated presence of the large number of the police forces in the downtown of Kyiv that was used to physically prevent the citizens from attending the traditional places of political protest rallies during the Ukrainian Parliament’s sittings.

The full responsibility for the developments in Ukraine, particularly for the victims among the civilian population and the police forces, rests on the President Yanukovych, the Ukrainian Government and the ruling coalition that includes the Party of Regions and the Communist Party.

The events of February 18, 2014 have to be the subject of the independent international investigation under the UN aegis.

We call upon the international partners of Ukraine to restrain from provoking the aggravation of the situation in Ukraine and encouraging the Government to resolve the crisis by the use of force.

We also call for all partners of Ukraine and all states that declare their adherence to the principles of the rule of law and human rights to impose immediately all available legal measures for restricting the ability to travel to and via their territories as well as for seizure of all assets in their jurisdiction of the President of Ukraine and his family, members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, members of the Party of Regions and the Communist Party, officials of the law enforcement agencies, the special forces, the offices of the prosecutors and courts, as well as Ukrainian oligarchs who are the main beneficiaries of the regime.

We reconfirm our readiness to provide with all necessary assistance to all foreign citizens that have suffered from the actions of the Ukrainian Government.

Taking into consideration the fact that the administration of the Foreign Ministry during the aggravation of the security situation in the downtown of the capital, in spite of closing down the subway have not taken any measures to shorten the office hours, to ensure necessary working conditions and other rights of the employees of the Foreign Ministry we reconfirm our readiness to provide Ukrainian diplomats with any assistance aimed at protecting their rights and interests.

Contacts:

press@mfaua.org

http://mfaua.org

Information about organization:

The Charity Foundation “Maidan of Foreign Affairs” offers to the Ukrainians and the world professional Ukraine’s foreign policy insights on the adequate, clear, efficient, grounded on infrangible human rights and rational interest of citizens, the society and the state forms and directions of international activities.

The Charity Foundation “Maidan of Foreign Affairs” was established by the initiative of Ukrainian diplomats in January 2014. The Chairman of the Board is Mr. Bohdan Yaremenko, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (1 class), Councilor General of Ukraine to Istanbul and the Representative of Ukraine to the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (2010-2013). The Board also includes Mr. Andriy Klymenko, Director of the Tavriya Regional Development Institute, Ms Tetyana Sylina, international issues journalist, Observer at the Newspaper “Mirror Weekly. Ukraine”, Oleksandr Chernenko, Chairman of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine.