Don’t let them kill freedom!

In July 2013, a delegation of the U.S. criminal justice system visited Ukraine.

The head of the delegation of U.S. jurists to Ukraine Ita M. Neymotin, a former prosecutor in Florida State Attorney’s office, once proved the innocence of a person sentenced to death and procured his released from prison. Since then, the pursuit of justice has become the key objective of her life.

She believes that the attitude towards Ukraine in American society deserves both careful analysis and reconsideration. In other words, a sense of fairness should be restored in relation to Ukraine.

During the recent visit, Ita M. Neymotin led a group of prosecutors, investigators, and attorneys to Ukraine for a weeklong visit. Representatives of the U.S. legal profession planned to acquaint themselves with the new criminal code of Ukraine. The participants also planned to analyze the most high-profile Ukrainian criminal cases of recent years that are being discussed in America.

The initiative for this visit and the study of Ukraine’s criminal process is the product of a heightened interest towards Ukraine on the part of a number of influential politicians, including the Governor of Florida Christopher Smith. The media partner of the project was the Washington-based U.S.-Ukraine Observer magazine and Mark Bazalev, the chairman of its oversight board.

A number of meetings were devoted to the new Ukrainian criminal code. Western experience was carefully considered during the drafting of the new code, which came into effect in November 2012. American guests noted that many of the provisions of the new code are similar to the codes of the Group of Eight countries.

The first meeting with the representatives of the Ukrainian law enforcement organizations was held at Ukraine’s National Academy of Interior Affairs. Ukrainian instructors and scholars were invited to the meeting with American guests, which was presided over by the Academy’s rector V. Kovalenko. Ukrainian participants spoke in detail about their work on drafting the new criminal code. The American participants shared numerous examples from their own practice. They were frank and open about errors that occur in their professional activities. Senior investigator Dan Short from Florida gave an example of a particularly complicated case that happened in the south of the United States. Valerie Michelle talked about the need for the participation of psychologists in the study of criminals and thought patterns. At the end of the meeting, the Academy’s rector expressed the view that such constructive meetings will help the two countries fight international crime.

Of particular interest to both sides was the meeting with Ukraine’s Association of Attorneys. The presentation by one of the most prominent American lawyers Frank Abernathy, whose uncle was the first black senator, evoked a lively reaction from the audience. Frank Abernathy concluded by an appeal to the audience: “Don’t let them kill freedom in Ukraine!”

Alexandra Egert, the executive president of the Association, expressed an interest in various forms of cooperation with the attorneys and prosecutors from the United States and in the possibility of establishing closer ties with American law firms and professional associations. A young, though well-respected lawyer Artem Shamrai agreed with her, noting that “such meetings are extremely useful for the young Ukrainian government.”

Another interesting meeting was held at the Senior Accreditation Commission of Ukrainian Attorneys, at which the licensing criteria for U.S. and Ukrainian attorneys were compared. Ita M. Neymotin and Valerie Michelle made presentations on the organizational structure of the judicial departments in the United States to the head of the Accreditation Commission Galina Kovbasinskaya.

The visit concluded with a meeting with Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka and First Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin. A wide range of issues were discussed at the meeting, including the need for effective professional contacts between the two countries. U.S. experts also received answers to many questions, especially those regarding high-profile cases. Ukrainian colleagues provided them with a significant number of documents related to those cases. Both sides noted that the visit was a serious contribution to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.

As the chairman of the oversight board of the U.S.-Ukraine Observer magazine Mark Bazalev stated at the conclusion of the visit, “Our countries have always been good partners, and this tradition must continue. Ukraine has embarked on the path of reform, and Americans are willing to help her in this difficult endeavor.”

The delegates noted the importance of the spiritual aspects in the relationship between the countries. Following the meeting, U.S. experts prepared a fact sheet for the visit’s organizers, which was published on the website of the U.S.-Ukraine Observer.