It became known what the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights thinks about sanctions against Poroshenko

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty emphasizes that martial law is not an excuse for curtailing democracy, political persecution, and imposing sanctions against political rivals, as well as pressure on the media.

This is stated in the Memorandum on Ukraine following his visit in March 2025.

“The Commissioner is concerned by reports of alleged intimidation and other forms of harassment of Ukrainian journalists, lawyers, civil society, political leaders and opinion leaders who are critical of the authorities. In several cases, the Ukrainian authorities have imposed so-called ‘personal sanctions’ on some of these individuals, restricting, among other things, their freedom of movement, expression and property rights. The Commissioner is concerned about the use of personal sanctions against Ukrainian citizens, as they entail significant restrictions on human rights and circumvent normal judicial mechanisms,” the document states.

The Commissioner also recommends that reports of intimidation and harassment be effectively investigated. Attention should also be paid to reports of selective use of military recruitment, which may have a negative impact on freedom of expression and, more generally, on civil society.

“Under martial law, Ukraine has also introduced a simplified television news format, creating “United News” – a joint marathon of several national media outlets. In its 2024 EU Enlargement Report, the European Commission recommended that Ukraine continue its efforts to maintain and gradually restore a transparent, pluralistic and independent media landscape, ensuring that restrictions imposed for security reasons are consistent with key public rights and interests, such as access to information and media freedom. The Commissioner calls on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that any restrictions on freedom of expression comply with the requirements of the Convention,” the document states.

Commissioner O’Flaherty acknowledged Ukraine’s right to self-defence and the legitimate reasons for restricting human rights in order to counter Russian aggression. As the peace process advances and Ukraine emerges from martial law, it should be supported in easing and lifting these restrictions. The Commissioner hopes that, as the first real signs of peace emerge, Ukraine will rapidly restore a broadly democratic environment in full compliance with its international human rights obligations.

It is worth noting that the ECHR found the Russian Federation guilty of a number of serious human rights violations in the controlled territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as in the case of the shooting down of flight MH17 in July 2014 .

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