The NGO ‘Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners’ appealed to the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development with a request regarding the status of implementation of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Social and Legal Protection of Persons Who Have Been Deprived of Their Personal Liberty as a Result of Armed Aggression Against Ukraine, and Members of Their Families.’
This law is intended to provide social and legal protection to released civilians and the families of those illegally detained. The key body responsible for its implementation is the Commission for Establishing the Fact of Deprivation of Personal Liberty as a Result of Armed Aggression against Ukraine, which has been operating under the Ministry of Development since the beginning of 2025.
In its response dated 15 August 2025, the Ministry reported that since the beginning of the year:
- 7 meetings of the Commission have been held;
2,473 decisions on establishing the fact of unlawful deprivation of liberty have been adopted;
- 98 decisions on recognising family members of such persons have been issued;
- 3,829 annual payments and 1,715 one-time payments after release have been made;
- 2,705 released persons have been provided with essential items (through the efforts of the Ukrainian National Centre for Peacebuilding).
The Ministry of Development reported on the steps taken. We appreciate the information provided and the regular work of the Commission. At the same time, we know that behind these figures are the fates of people who face opaque procedures, refusals without explanation, and bureaucratic barriers.
Therefore, the Association continues to exercise systematic public control over the implementation of the Law. For the first time this year, we will assess how the Ministry of Development ensures the work of the Commission, as it came under its jurisdiction only at the beginning of this year. We will cover the Commission's activities and motivate it to work more openly and transparently to protect the rights of illegally imprisoned persons.
We are the only public organisation in Ukraine that systematically monitors the Commission's activities in establishing the fact of deprivation of personal liberty and advocates for changes to improve its work.
The Association systematically documents war crimes, works to free civilians and support their families.
This post was created by the NGO ‘Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners’ with the support of the Askold and Dir Foundation, administered by ISAR Unity within the framework of the project ‘Strong Civil Society in Ukraine - a Driver of Reforms and Democracy’ funded by Norway and Sweden. The content of this post is the responsibility of the NGO ‘Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners’ and does not reflect the views of the governments of Norway, Sweden or ISAR-Unity.
