Video Gallery

Fight for rights and dignity of ATO combatants

In 2015, lawyer Svitlana Ostapenko’s success became a legal precedent for Kharkiv region in Ukraine. It was the first time when the regional court confirmed the participation and death of a combatant while on mission in the counter-terrorism operation (ATO in Ukrainian).

Vasyl’s son, Oleksandr Brychuk, 39, was killed in the counter-terrorism operation (in ATO zone). However, his death certificate failed to indicate that he had been killed while on mission.

The lawyer appointed through the Ukrainian Legal Aid System persuaded the court to recognize that Vasyl’s son had participated and had been killed in hostilities in the ATO zone. Following the court judgment, the family of deceased ATO zone soldier was able receive their social allowance.

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Filmed by Andriy Lahutin.

Disabilities do not restrict rights

Tetiana Frolova, a prominent para-athlete, record-breaker, Europian champion, Paraolympian and a multiple medalist of Powerlifting World Championships for disabled athletes, had to assert her rights in court.

In April 2016, because she could not access the bank building that had no wheelchair ramp she was not able receive any money. She made a social worker her notarized power of attorney, but the bank still refused to give him the money referring to the bank’s internal regulations. Tetiana, the social worker, and several journalists who knew her situation well sent repeated requests to the bank’s senior managers with no result. Only after the Tetiana said she would take a legal action, the bank paid her the money. Tetiana went to court to create a precedent, so that the bank would be obliged by a court decision to install a wheelchair ramp for disabled people like her, so they could have access to the services they needed.

The staff and lawyers of the Ukrainian Legal Aid System helped restore Tetiana’s infringed rights, and helped other people with disabilities to get access to this bank branch offices across the country.

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Filmed by PaperPlanes Production.

Protect children’s rights and future

“I want my sons to grow up to be kind gentlemen. I do not want them to treat their future families the way they were unfortunately treated,” says Olena Kolesnyk, a mother of two sons.

Their family experienced domestic violence. After divorce, Olena’s ex-husband was in no way involved in his children’s life and paid no child support.

Olena was compelled to have the parental rights of her ex-husband terminated.

Ukrainian Legal Aid System staff and lawyers helped her to overcome those life challenges and resolved the issue in court.

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Filmed by Maksym Liukov.

Demand fair utility rates

Lidiia Kharytonova resides in the town of Pryluky (Chernihiv region, Ukraine). After the local gas service provider read her meter, they issued her a bill at new increased utility rates. This resulted in a debt. However, the woman was not aware of it, as she always paid her gas bills on time. As a result in 2015 her gas was disconnected.

Mrs. Kharytonova wanted to repay the debt and asked the supplier to break it down into several installments. Her request was turned down. She lived without gas for a whole year and was not able to receive a utility subsidy. She sent numerous requests to the gas service provider and the city council but always received runaround replies.

The Ukrainian Legal Aid System staff and lawyers defended Mrs. Kharytonova’s rights in court and the matter of incorrectly calculating monies owing to the service provider was resolved in her favour.

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Filmed by Yuriy Yudin.

Protect yourself from unlawful dismissal

Volodymyr Adamenko was a plumber at a recreational center in Chernihiv Region (Ukraine). In May 2015, he was unlawfully dismissed when he was called up for compulsory military service.

On his return, Volodymyr asked the employer to reinstate him in his position and pay him an average salary warranted by law. However, he received a verbal refusal.

With the help of the Ukrainian Legal Aid System staff and lawyers, Mr. Adamenko was able to prove the unlawful dismissal in court. The court reinstated him in his position and ruled to pay him the salary to which he was legally entitled.

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Filmed by Orest Smilianets.

Protect your rights to appropriate utility services

In 2015, Yevheniia Dmytriieva from the city of Kryvy Rih (Dnipropetrovs’k Region, Ukraine) became a foster parent/custodian of three orphaned children whose mother had died of tuberculosis.

The woman lived in a small two-room apartment, but the children were registered in a three-room apartment. The children’s parents had not paid for the utilities and had an illegal electricity connection, so a substantial fine was imposed and the apartment had their electricity disconnected.

For several years, the woman submitted numerous requests to the utility providers to restore electricity and give the children a chance to live at home, but was unsuccessful.

Yevheniia then sought support from the Ukrainian Legal Aid system. Lawyers helped her to resolve the issue in court, and an appropriate utility service was restored.

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Filmed by Bluebeard Production.

Videos were created with the financial support of the Quality and Accessible Legal Aid in Ukraine Project.

Created in cooperation with Molodiya International Social Advertising Festival.