New DIGNITY country infographic on Ukraine: access to justice in times of war

The latest DIGNITY 2025 Country Infographic on Ukraine offers a snapshot of the situation facing people in pre-trial detention, highlighting both important legal safeguards and persistent barriers to enforcing rights from places of detention.

According to the infographic, 37,119 people were held in prison in Ukraine as of 1 January 2025, with 25.64% in pre-trial detention. At the same time, Ukraine’s incarceration rate stands at 98 per 100,000 people, below the European median, while the overall prison population has fallen by 49% since 2015.

DIGNITY’s research identifies several challenges affecting detainees’ ability to exercise and defend their rights. Correspondence with courts and the Ombudsman may be delayed, blocked, or even reported as “lost”. People in detention who submit complaints can also face the risk of retaliation, including disciplinary punishment, despite relevant European Court of Human Rights rulings. Moreover, civil-society funding has been severely affected, while needs continue to grow.

At the same time, the research points to significant developments. Pre-trial detention is intended to remain an exceptional measure, used only where specific risks justify it. A new Detention Conditions Commission provides an additional mechanism through which detainees, their relatives and lawyers can submit complaints, with a right of appeal. The infographic also highlights an important safeguard for the legal process: meetings between detainees and defence counsel are unlimited in number and duration and must remain confidential.

Among its key recommendations are stronger protection of confidential correspondence and sustained funding for monitoring and legal support, ensuring that people deprived of their liberty can continue to seek justice even under the extraordinary pressures of the war.

 View the infographic and read the full research findings at the link.

The DIGNITY Project promotes the implementation of the European Commission Recommendation on detention through a cross-sectoral approach involving legal professionals, civil society organisations and National Preventive Mechanisms from Greece, Portugal and Ukraine, together with partners from 19 EU Member States and Council of Europe member states. It is co-funded by the European Union. More information about the DIGNITY Project and its activities is available on its LinkedIn page.