On March 24, 2014, the press-conference “Ongoing violations of the attorneys’ rights: illegal detention of Mr. Denys Bugay” was held involving Oleg Beliaev,  Executive Chairman of the Commission, Inna Rafalska, Head of the Bar Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, Vise-president of the Ukrainian Bar Association, Valeriya Lutkovska, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights as well as other leading lawyers.

The reasons for the press-conference were recent events connected with detention of the attorney Mr. Denys Bugay, which was conducted with numerous violations of the attorneys’ professional rights as well as current criminal procedural law.

Speaking to attendees Mr. Bugay analyzed legal proceedings against him, thanked his colleagues for support and urged Ukrainian law enforcement authorities to return to justice course.

“Today we witness attorneys’ principal position, hopefully it will help to avoid future violations connected with their professional activity”, – emphasized Valeriya Lutkovska, Ombudsman. She also expressed her admiration of the attorney’s solidarity, demonstration of their power while defending the colleague.

Attorney’s colleagues and advocates noted that it was not the personality issue they were talking about, but the question of existence of the institute of advocacy in Ukraine in general. Law enforcement authorities started to identify attorneys with their clients which is unacceptable because it may lead to the destruction of the  justice system.

In turn, Oleg Beliaev, Executive Chairman of the Commission, emphasized that quite mild sanctions are foreseen for violation of the client’s rights for personal protection and attorney’s right for protection of his/her client . “Today the working group on preparation of the redrafted law of Ukraine “On the Bar and Advocacy” has already formulated respective amendments. Hopefully, those amendments are to serve as an additional law basis for inadmissibility of the situations as the one happened to Denys”, – summarized Oleg Beliaev.