Page 35 - Empowerment and Protection - Stories of Human Security

anton, a 41-year-old IT worker in downtown Kyiv describes the weak presence of the state.
[I feel threatened] when I don’t know what to expect from the law enforcement when I encounter them in everyday circumstances. What rights do I have, and what rights do they have? You need to enter into
an argument with them literally on everything – any baseless questions like ‘who are you’, ‘what are you doing here’, ‘show your documents’. Things like that. How can I explain it? I don’t feel protected in terms of, well, the state system, isn’t it? I don’t know who owes me and what I owe in different situations. This relates to Zhekf, this relates to the police, and even public bus drivers. Every time you have to argue
with a particular individual. I would call it minimal awareness and minimal transparency. I don’t feel like there is any sort of local authority, at the district or street level, and in the same sense I don’t feel protection from law enforcement. I am absolutely unsure that police is on my side or that they are interested in bothering with my case.
f This term refers to the housing ofice – a supericially reformed relic of the Soviet system – municipal ofices that collect payment on behalf of large private utilities providers and provide maintenance and repair services to the majority of urban households.
Security providers
The range of security threats and the most commonly cited insecurities pointed to a marked absence of public security provision and rule of law. a 45-year-old lawyer, alex, who moved to Kyiv from the eastern city of Donetsk described that “The insecurity is in the arbitrary treatment on the part of the authorities.” When relecting on who to turn to and how to cope with insecurity, many respondents pointed to the failures of the state institutions, and resorted to alternative or individual means for protection and empowerment. Coping strategies ranged from passive avoidance of risks, to more active engagement with authorities.
Some time ago I had to take part in litigation as a complainant’s friend. This was related to a trafic accident. after giving testimony I never saw or heard or any activity on the part of the law enforcement. The owner of the car was a member of Parliament. frankly, given the number plate and the car – a mercedes 600 – [the defence lawyer] couldn’t guarantee a successful trial, even though it drove against a red light and killed a cyclist at the pedestrian crossing. He charged $500 for his work, and said: ‘there are levers of inluence up
”I feel insecure to some extent every day as I don’t understand where I can ind justice in this system.”
there, which will simply lead to failure of the case’. and while it was being investigated, they transferred it to the prosecutor’s ofice. It appeared that the defendant in this case was the son of the mP. He tried to hush
the case by ‘gifts’, shall we say. I feel insecure to some extent every day as I don’t understand where I can ind justice in this system.
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