MOSCOW, July 24 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian communists will contest the parliament’s decision to dissolve the faction in the Ukrainian courts first, and then in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the party’s leader said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“We’ll take legal action in the Ukrainian courts. We’re speaking about one particular characteristic of the legal system - a law is not retroactive,” Petro Symonenko said.
“If any changes are introduced to the law, it should apply to future parliaments and future factions. What they are trying to do - by amending the existing law - is to apply it to the current situation and our faction. Therefore, we will defend everything that is related to our rights in the Ukrainian courts, but certainly if we fail to do it here, we will go to the European Court of Human Rights itself," Symonenko said.
On Wednesday, members of European Parliament from the left-wing Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) said that the actions taken against the Communist Party of Ukraine reflect the government’s policy to suppress critical voices. The GUE/NGL Group said it means Ukraine failed to meet its obligations to protect human rights, expressed its solidarity with Ukrainian Communist Party, and condemned “the blackmail, attacks, intimidation and destruction of property that the party has been subjected to in recent months." The left-wing group said that it would send relevant messages to the President of the European Parliament and the European Council demanding their intervention into the issue.
On Wednesday, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov said that the parliament would dissolve the Communist Party on July 24. On Tuesday, the parliament adopted amendments to the regulations that will allow Turchynov to dissolve the party. On the same day, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed the law.
