The Municipal Guard (Муніципальної варти) is an Unofficial Police organisation formed by C14 to carry out law enforcement duties in Ukrainian cities:
Director of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Artem Shevchenko , explains that during joint patrols with police and border guards, representatives of the “Municipal Guard” have the right to use measures of physical influence, special means of personal protection and self-defense, charged with tear and irritant substances.
He explains to RFE/RL that “Municipal Guard” is a public organization consisting mainly of veterans of the war in the East of Ukraine, and “Municipal Guard” is a communal local enterprise that is designed to protect property and the territory of the city and is financed from the city budget.
None of these organizations is a law enforcement agency. But the police cooperates with them and involves them in the protection of public order, explains Artem Shevchenko, director of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“Municipal guard” was created in accordance with the law of Ukraine “On the participation of citizens in the protection of public order and the state border” and in accordance with the same law, the National Police has the right to monitor the activities of this formation.
“In the first quarter of 2020, on the territory of Kyiv, members of the public formation “Municipal Guard” together with the police took part in 459 preventive measures, including 25 mass measures. During the implementation of the specified measures, 174 administrative and 9 criminal offenses were stopped by the representatives of this public formation,” Artem Shevchenko notes.
A number of mass media disseminated the information that “right-wing radicals will from now on fine Kyiv residents”, apparently referring to the activities of the “Municipal Guard”.
Serhii believes that such information is spread by “enemies of the country” with the aim of discrediting the work of veterans.
At the same time, he confirms that he is an active member of the right-wing radical organization “C14” and joins its activities when he has free time from his duties in the “Municipal Guard”
Human rights organizations are concerned about the activities of these organizations, which is expressed in public letters of appeal to law enforcement agencies .
“We saw what these people did. For example, they committed Roma pogroms in Kyiv. There are many people from radical public organizations who believe that it is possible to use force against the enemies of the people of Ukraine, and who these enemies are - they themselves determine. In general, it is impossible to act like this: neither to use force, nor to hang a stigma,” says the director of the Kharkiv human rights group.
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