[JURIST] The Ukrainian government [official website] on Tuesday passed [press release] five anti-corruption laws in an effort to cure past issues and work towards developing more transparency in government affairs. The anti-corruption law package addresses issues with Bureau corruption, creates principles of anti-corruption policy and prevents citizens from laundering money to fund terrorists or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk [official website] stated in regards to the new laws, “[t]he whole package submitted by the President and the Government, developed by international experts and the main thing—Ukraine expects this package: fair and transparent state authority, fair prosecutors and judges. And in order to make them fair, they should be all brought to light.” The main goals illustrated by the Ukrainian government is to provide better oversight for officials, judges and other state authorities. The effort will provide more transparency to the public and encourage accountability.

The crisis in the Ukraine [JURIST news archive] has continued to escalate over recent months with no immediate end in sight. Earlier this month a senior UN human rights official said that the death toll in Ukraine has risen above 3,000 and pleaded for peace [JURIST report] to spare more bloodshed. Last month now former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] Navi Pillay announced the findings of a report [JURIST report] detailing the harsh war-like conditions in eastern Ukraine that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The report noted that civilian deaths are averaging approximately 36 per day, and also documented a number of serious human rights abuses committed primarily by the armed groups who seized control over a large part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. Late last month the UN issued a report [JURIST report] documenting the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Ukraine and calling for greater care to prevent civilian causalities in the region. Earlier in July Amnesty International cited mounting evidence [JURIST report] of abductions and violence against activists, protesters and journalists in eastern Ukraine.