FreeСХІД.ua#37 Can a child travel abroad without signed consent of one of the parents who stayed in “DNR”, and How much does it cost for an IDP to take legal action 

If you don’t have time to keep an eye on all the changes in IDP related legislature, we would like to bring some important issues to your attention. We also keep following media of Ukraine and uncontrolled territories for all kinds of life stories. 

#FreeZONE

Many Ukrainians are having or at least planning summer vacation, meanwhile, residents of frontline villages have already started planning for the upcoming winter.

Kateryna’s house in Toretsk-city of Donetsk region is 5 kilometers away from contact line. To survive this winter she will have to stay in one room with her two kids and fire heating stove every 4 hours.

A sac of coal costs UAH 99, and in winter it will take 5 sacs per week for Kateryna to heat the house. So, she already faces this difficult choice on a daily basis – does she by food, meds for her kids that they need right now, or does she buy coal to survive winter.

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Residents of uncontrolled territories cannot afford going abroad on vacation. According to residents of Donetsk and Luhansk, they can go on vacation, but only to neighboring Russia. Many of them confessed, though, that due to modest financial standing, they can only afford spending time off at local bodies of water.   

#FreeLAW

On August 29 Law # 8296 comes into force. It sets new regulation for international travel for children under different life circumstances.  

Within the frame of our todays digest we are interested in the following issue: how a child can travel abroad if one of the parents resides in uncontrolled territory, so it is impossible to have his/her consent notarized?

So, if you are planning to stay abroad for less than a month you don’t need consent of the second parent.

Which documents are required at crossing the border?

- documents proving child’s place of residency (they can be obtained either in court or from guardianship authorities)

- documents supporting purpose and terms of the trip (this might be a reference letter from medical or educational institution on participation in specific competition, travel reservations, etc.)

It is also required to send the second parent a registered mail notifying of child’s travel.

If travel term is over 1 month it is required to get notarized consent.

If there is no possibility of getting such consent the only other option is to apply to court. As soon as the Law comes into force, courts will deal with such cases using simplified procedure - that takes no longer than 60 days.

#FreeINFOGRAPGICS

Residents of uncontrolled territories and IDPs often have to take legal actions – even birth and death in temporarily occupied and joined territories is registered in court. Meanwhile, legal action means serious expenses.  

Human rights advocates from “Donbas-SOS” made infographics providing detail on various types of court expenses and advice on what can be done when there is no money for such application.

#FreeNEWS

 On August 3 Luhansk miners picketed the Ministry of Energy and Coal Mining of Ukraine. Workers of “Horska” coal mine (State Enterprise “Pervomaiskugol”) demanded from the ministry to pay off wage debt that is about UAH 100 mln. According to the miners, they have not yet received money for job done in spring.

The city of Mariupol plans to clear its historic part of  window shop ads, and unify store signs so they are all similar style. In the last year 132 bill-boards were removed from city streets, and this year they have removed about 170 boards and 80 city-lights.

Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint operations might get suspended for several days.

Why?

The only checkpoint in Luhansk region needs renovation and improvement. On August 6 construction works will start in checkpoint service zone. This does not require operation shutdown – for now the checkpoint will operate normally. However, if at Tripartite committee decides on full-fledged renovation, on August 27-31 crossing at “Stanytsi Luhanska” checkpoint will be suspended.  In any case, changes in checkpoint schedule will be announced beforehand.  More than UAH15 mln from the regional budget is allocated to this purpose.

#FreePEOPLE

Dmytro BALKHOVYTYN, photographer IDP from Makiivka  

For many years Dmytro has been taking pictures all over the country. His pictures of beautiful scenery of Ukraine win awards and are in demand with foreign agencies.

“Many people perceive Donbas as industrial region with just mines and plants everywhere. In fact there are lots of places here that are attractive to tourists. I advise you visiting  Bilokuzmino chalk rock. It is an amazing nature monument that dates back 90 mln years. 50 kilometers from Kramatorsk there is a national park “Chalk flora”. In the south – National natural reserve “Meotida”, with “Polovetska steppe” landscape park as it’s par. I also recommend visiting “Stone Grave” reserve bordering Zaporizhzhya region”, - shares Dmytro.  

Andriy SHYRKOV, Raihorodka village (Luhansk region)

He is the first man in Luhansk region who installed solar panels on roof of his house and in his backyard, and has been using his own electricity for four years now. The man even started selling power to the regional energy supplier. Though, he hasn’t yet received a single hryvna from the enterprise.

 #FreeINNITIATIVE

In four cities of Donetsk and Luhansk regions – Volnovakha, Toretsk, Popasna and Svatovo – were open new information portals. These sites are about people, public initiatives, local plans and opportunities. 

Portals are created by “Abo” local media development agency on the basis of two ex-communal newspapers, that are now being denationalized, and two public organizations. Next week similar portal will be open in the city of Troitske of Luhansk region.

Did you know that they can make a real picture out of glass in Lysytchansk? Local “Tetra” enterprise specializes in double-glazed windows, decorative mirrors, or can even make a glass picture. Art and decorative elements are made with fusing technic. 

It resembles traditional stained glass window except there is no metal connecting glass, instead, different color glass is melted together. It is placed in a stove with temperature off 300 to 1200 degrees Celsius depending on type of glass. One picture takes several days to make due to complicated process.

“Tetra” workers make mirrors decorated with glass flowers, or pictures with angels and storks made entirely of color glass.

#FreeNUMBER

Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Alexander Hug told about civil casualties in Donbas. In course of the 7 months of 2018 Special Monitoring Mission confirmed death of 29 civilians. Another 132 people were injured.

#FreeQUOTE

Former Head of Horlivka police (in 2014), and current head of Kyiv police Andriy KRYSHCHENKO shared his opinion on current sentiment at uncontrolled territories.

#FreeEVENT

July 30 is the first World day against trafficking in persons - at the central square of the city of Siverodonetsk anyone could complete educational quest “Labyrinth of opportunity”.

The game was created based on stories of real people who were recruited for work abroad, but got to labor slavery. Event organizers told that in Luhansk region last years there were 13 registered cases of forced labor, 8 cases in 2018. Region residents became victims to human trafficking due to military action since 1014.  For the most part these were people from occupied territories – they were taken against their will, forced to dig trenches, abused and beaten.

#FreeBOOK

Book about problems faced by Donbas residents “Living despite” was presented in Kyiv. The book was written by 6 authors based on testimony of civilians who stayed in the war zone.

They tell about shelling of densely populated urban districts, lawlessness on occupied territories, illegal prisons in Luhansk, deployment of military materiel in residential neighborhoods, absence of medical assistance. “Each author met with people who suffered or witnessed human rights violations, analyzed the information and even created recommendations and instructions for concerned institutions and agencies”, - say the book producers. They promised the book will be soon available on-line for free.

See you next week!