ISHR monitors anti-corruption proceedings and sets standards

Despite the nearly four-year-long war that Russia has imposed on Ukraine, civilian life away from the front lines is to proceed as normally as possible. This applies particularly to legal disputes, in the end of which the stronger party with the best connections should prevail, but rather the rule of law should prevail. The corruption scandal uncovered last November involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy served as a timely signal to politicians and the judiciary that the world is now watching Ukraine very closely and that any further missteps could have dramatic consequences for the international willingness to support Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor, Russia.

The exposure of corruption, regardless of the political level at which it occurs, must be followed by a sentence imposed by a proper court. The ISHR will now contribute to this by monitoring the trials before the anti-corruption courts and has also received a mandate approved at the highest level: On December 29, 2025, Anton Alekseyev – the Executive Director of the ISHR’s Ukraine section (IAC ISHR) – and Dmytro Lubinez – the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights – signed a memorandum on the “development of a long-term partnership in the field of human rights protection.” The importance of this contact is demonstrated by Lubinez’s other work as a negotiator with Russia in cases involving abducted civilians and children, and his efforts against corruption within the state apparatus.

Anton Alekseyev (left) and Dmytro Lubinez in the office of the Ukrainian Ombudsman for Human Rights © Ombudsman’s Office, Kyiv

The International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) can draw on its experience from a previous project when monitoring court proceedings: In 2017, the ISHR reported in its journal “For Human Rights” on attempts by parties to influence verdicts through the use of violence in court, political manipulation, and active bribery, under the title “The Right to a Fair Trial in Ukraine.” In almost all cases, this was prevented through close cooperation between the observers on the ground and the German section of the ISHR, because manipulation attempts could no longer be swept under the rug once published in Germany. The analyses of the International Anti-Criminal Investigation Unit for Human Rights (IAC ISHR) were also incorporated into the curriculum of university law faculties; participation in observations was recognized as an internship for aspiring lawyers. Funding was provided through a project supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and through donations from the friends and supporters of the German section of the ISHR.

With the outbreak of war on February 24, 2022, the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) ceased monitoring court proceedings, as nothing was the same anymore, and devoted itself, with no less success, to building a humanitarian network for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which continues to this day. However, with the cessation of trial monitoring, funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) also ceased. The German section stepped in with donated funds: firstly, to coordinate humanitarian operations for IDPs, and secondly, to maintain contact with the courts. Two years ago, members of the Ukrainian section resumed monitoring civil proceedings wherever the opportunity arose. But now the focus is no longer on civil disputes, but on corruption. The German section of the ISHR therefore applied again for a project from the BMZ. It received approval and thus the “commission to carry out a fair trial monitoring project at the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court in Kyiv, involving 250 law students from the three Kyiv universities.” Specifically, 120 processes are to be observed and evaluated by the ISHR.

To ensure our Kyiv office can continue carrying out this important mission despite power outages caused by Russian attacks, ISHR can support the procurement of generators: one stationary generator for the office and two portable generators for use during training seminars in provincial towns. The estimated cost of purchasing the generators is €5,000. This support would help keep essential office operations and training activities running even during electricity disruptions.