Photo by Wojciech Koźmic

This past week was a turning point in Ukraine’s months-long protests dubbed the “EuroMaidan”. The developments, however, have taken a turn for the worse. As the protests began losing steam and the endurance of the protesters waned, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, took some draconian legislative actions aimed at deterring the protests and criminalising their activities. After the Verkhovna Rada passed this year’s state budget without any debate, it proceeded to adopt new provisions to Ukraine’s criminal code that severely limit public assembly and opposition. Many have criticised these laws as being anti-democratic and in violation of Ukraine’s Constitution. The Parliament contends that these measures are necessary to ensure public safety.