On Monday 5 November, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) asked the Ukrainian authorities to strengthen their efforts on investigating the attack on Ukrainian activist Kateryna Handzyuk, who died the previous day from an acid attack in front of her home in Kherson, Ukraine, on 31 July.
"We expect the Ukrainian authorities to redouble their efforts to swiftly and thoroughly investigate this crime and to bring those behind it to justice", the EEAS spokesperson stated in a press release, saying also that Handzyuk was "a courageous and dedicated activist focusing on the fight against corruption in Ukraine".
The spokesperson added that the EU expected the Ukrainian authorities to take "tangible steps to reverse the worrying trend of attacks against civil society activists and investigative journalists in Ukraine".
"A vibrant civil society is crucial in any democratic society, and it is of utmost importance that this is protected – in Ukraine as elsewhere", the spokesperson said.
On 4 November, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn said he was "very saddened" by the news of the death of "the incredibly brave Kateryna Handziuk". "Attacks against civil society activists are unacceptable", he said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)