Regional human rights protection center opens in Zaporizhzhia

The Regional Human Rights Protection Center has commenced operations in Zaporizhzhia. It is the first such center in Ukraine to be located in the premises of the regional council.

Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets announced this at the opening ceremony, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“This is the first center that has such conditions for communication, and the first to be established on the basis of municipal premises belonging to the regional council. The necessary repairs and equipment were purchased using funds from the local regional budget. This is the first region to recognize that building such a center is primarily about facilitating communication and providing care for citizens. Human rights are a top priority for all authorities,” the official said.

He further noted that the most common complaints regarding human rights violations come from the military, families of prisoners of war, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Additionally, reports have been received concerning violations of children's rights and socio-economic rights. At the start of the full-scale invasion, dozens of people reported violations of their rights to the ombudsman's office. This number has now risen to thousands.

“We are planning to open similar centers in all regional centers across Ukraine, and the next stage is that one employee will work in each united territorial community,” Lubinets added.

As Ukrinform reported, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets stated that the Ombudsman's Office had conducted over 600 monitoring visits related to children's rights this year.