MOSCOW, May 27 (RAPSI) - Law Against Fascism, an association of non-governmental organizations for the international legal remedy of rights of Ukrainian civilians affected by the punitive action of the Kiev officials, opened a counseling office in Moscow, with more offices to open in other regions on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

Alexander Brod, a coordinator of the association, a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, and the director of the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights, reported that Law Against Fascism and its Ukrainian partners were first going to file lawsuits with Ukrainian courts to defend the rights of the conflict victims.

“Eventually, we could appeal to the European Court for Human Rights. To protect the rights of Ukrainian citizens, we also intend to address the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and other international human rights organizations,” he added.

“It is important for us to collect as much documentary evidence as possible of what is going on in Ukraine, and to show the actual events in Ukraine to international organizations and judicial bodies in order to restore justice,” Brod said.

Georgy Fyodorov, a Law Against Fascism coordinator and a member of the Civic Chamber, commented that the counseling office would be open in Moscow on a permanent basis, with a hotline available. Also, there are counseling offices in Belgorod and Bryansk. More offices will be open “all along the Russian-Ukrainian border.”

Ukraine went through a regime change on February 22, when President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country and Western-backed ultranationalist activists rose to power in Kiev.

Several southeastern regions did not recognize the legitimacy of the new authorities. Protesters have been gathering since March, demanding referendums on the status of their regions.

The special forces, controlled by Kiev, started a special operation in mid-April involving military aircraft and armored vehicles.

The operation, which has killed and injured dozens of people, has been labeled punitive by Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last Monday that the special operation “is terrorizing Ukrainian citizens only for their political views.”