UN calls on Ukrainian government to prevent COVID-19 spread in penitentiary institutions

Urgent measures are needed in Ukraine to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in penitentiary institutions, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Matilda Bogner has stated.

“I am very concerned that there are now cases of COVID-19 infection in penitentiary institutions in Chernivtsi and Kropyvnytskyi. There is an urgent need to strengthen the measures already taken in places of detention, since COVID-19 can spread rapidly in institutions, where people are in close contact with each other,” Bogner said.

“I call on the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health to boost Ukraine’s COVID-19 response in the penitentiary system, in particular by improving the screening of personnel and incoming detainees, implementing social distancing, provision of sanitizers and taking other measures to stop the spread of the virus. I also call on donors to help provide protection equipment in penitentiary institutions,” she noted.

Measures to reduce the prison population are another effective means of reducing the potential spread of the virus. “I encourage the Parliament to adopt the law on amnesty, and call for additional steps to reduce the prison population, including the broader application of non-custodial measures,” she said.

“Finally, I would like to commend the active role of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights regarding prevention of COVID-19 in the penitentiary system, and urge her Office to continue to pay attention to the respect of the rights of detainees,” Bogner concluded.