On October 31, 2016, HealthRight International in Ukraine held a press-briefing to inform the public about services available for survivors of torture. The press-briefing took place at HealthRight Ukraine’s Human Rights Clinic (HRC), which was established in Kyiv in 2015 with support from the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNVFVT). HealthRight and its partners Helsinki Human Rights Union, International Medical Rehabilitation Center for the Victims of Wars and Totalitarian Regimes, UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (UNHRMMU), and the Burn Center of Kyiv City Clinical Hospital #2 (where the HRC is located) all participated in the briefing. Parliamentary Deputy Iryna Suslova, in charge of the Ukrainian Parliamentary human rights group, was in attendance, and expressed her support for the initiative and her commitment to improving regulation related to assistance for torture survivors.

At the press briefing, HealthRight and partner organizations that serve survivors of torture (as well as those serving military, prisoners of war and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from conflict-affected regions in Eastern Ukraine), signed a Collaboration Memorandum, uniting all efforts towards serving and protecting the rights of survivors of torture and ill-treatment in Ukraine. Through the Memorandum, partners aim to create a comprehensive care and referral system for survivors of torture—HealthRight Ukraine’s Human Rights Clinic (HRC), where the briefing was held and the Memorandum was signed, will serve as a focal point for referrals. The following organizations signed Collaboration Memorandum: HealthRight International in Ukraine, Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health (UFPH), Voluntary Organization “Blue Bird”, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, “Donbas SOS”, “Vostok SOS”,  International Medical Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Wars and Totalitarian Regimes, Wounded Warrior Ukraine, “Pobratymy”, “Legal Hundred”, State Service of Ukraine for War Veterans, and ATO participants.