On October 15, a meeting took place at the Office of the Prosecutor General with representatives from the Office and the Council of Europe, during which current issues of cooperation in the field of human rights compliance and aligning the standards of the functioning of Ukraine's law enforcement system with European models were discussed.

The Office of the Prosecutor General was represented by Deputy Prosecutor General Andriy Leshchenko, Head of the International Cooperation Department Zurab Adeishvili, and Head of the Department for Counteracting Human Rights Violations in Law Enforcement and Penitentiary Spheres Roman Romanchuk.

The Council of Europe was represented by the Director of Human Rights of the Council of Europe Directorate General for Human Rights and Rule of Law Claire Ovey, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Hilda Haug, and representatives of the Council of Europe project "Strengthening Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System of Ukraine – Phase II" Alisa-Tetyana Petukhova and Artur Karvatsky.

During the meeting, the parties discussed further steps for implementing joint initiatives within the Roadmap on the Rule of Law, particularly regarding the prevention of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as strengthening human rights guarantees in the criminal justice system.

Deputy Prosecutor General Andriy Leshchenko emphasized that combating torture and ensuring effective investigation of such cases is one of the key areas of the prosecutor's office's activities, and systematic cooperation with the Council of Europe contributes to the implementation of the best European practices in the daily work of law enforcement agencies.

“The absolute prohibition of torture is not only an international obligation but also a principle that defines the level of maturity of a democratic society. Ukraine continues to improve its own system of human rights protection despite all the challenges of wartime,” noted Andriy Leshchenko.

The parties also agreed to continue joint work on implementing the Strategy for Combating Torture in the Criminal Justice System, as well as enhancing training programs for prosecutors and investigators aimed at adhering to international human rights standards in investigative practices.

Meeting participants noted the positive dynamics in the implementation of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights and expressed their readiness for further exchange of experiences, particularly within the framework of Council of Europe projects aimed at increasing the effectiveness of investigations into cases of ill-treatment and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine.