Katerynas daughters became victims of corruption in Ukraine

She stands at the roadside in the village of Demydiv outside Kiev and is waiting for us, a diminutive woman completely dressed in black. Black yllebyxor, black jacket, a plain black cloth over the head. During the hucklet is the hair järngrått.

Black is sad color. The bottomless, despair, sorrow.

Kateryna Dunjak visit his two daughters grave. The sisters both became victims of corruption in Ukraine. Photo: Anders Hansson

Kateryna Dunjak sit in the back seat and we drive on towards the cemetery in Demydiv. Where is her two daughters in a common grave.

" The only thing I want is to get to my children. But first I want to know who killed Irina, " says Kateryna Dunjak.

Kateryna Dunjak have lost both their daughters to corruption in Ukraine. It is hard to express it any other way.

Svitlana Sapatynska and Iryna Nozdrovska. Photo: Anders Hansson,

, Svitlana Sapatynska, died 26 years old in a car accident three years ago. She was hit by the man who had repeatedly been caught for drink – driving- but never been punished. His uncle, who is the judge saw that he was acquitted each time.

until he drove on Svitlana, whose older sister Iryna Nozdrovska was a lawyer and antikorruptionsaktivist. Irina had her sister's case all the way up to the supreme court. She managed to get the perpetrator, Dmytro Rossohanskij, sentenced to seven years in prison.

They must have been several, Iryna was a fighter. One person alone had not been able to murder her.

At the end of last year, the court decided to release Rossohanskij under a general amnesty. Iryna Nozdrovska required a new trial. On 27 december, she won a first delseger when the amnesty was stopped.

the Perpetrator's father, Yuri Rossohanskij, threatened her. On december 29, disappeared Iryna. A few days later found the police, her ravaged body sprawled in a river. She was 38 years old.

" She had 17 cuts and 16 bloodshed under the skin. They had beaten and tortured her. They must have been several, Iryna was a fighter. One person alone had not been able to murder her, says the father, Serhij Dunjak.

Yuri Rossohanskij is arrested for the murder. He says he acted alone, but Iryna Nozdrovskas parents are convinced that several, including the police, were involved.

the systematic violence against activists and journalists in Ukraine worsened. Two cases have been symbolic. One is just Iryna Nozdrovska, the other antikorruptionsaktivisten and politician Kateryna Handziuk from Cherson. She had caustic acid thrown in their faces in July and died from complications of his injuries three months later.

The total number of activists who have been attacked since 2017 is 55, according to independent Euromaidanpress.

the Situation has become worse during the last year. Many of the attacks have been directed against LGBTQ people and roma. But now we see that also antikorruptionsaktivister becomes vulnerable, " says Maria Gurjeva from Amnesty International in Ukraine, to Al-Jazeera.

That activists in this way, to live dangerously is a paradox. The Ukrainian elite has almost unanimously embraced european integration as the overall goal. Since the revolution in Majdan 2014, Ukraine has undergone a series of reforms, with the goal to become both EU and nato member.

Antikorruptionsaktivisten In the Sjabunin got the green color cast in the face at a demonstration in the summer. Photo: Anders Hansson

condemn violence. Ukraine's president Petro Porosjenko has promised that the culprits should be brought to justice. Minister of foreign affairs Pavlo Klimkin calls the murder of Nozdrovska ”a challenge for the state”. Anyway continue the attacks. The problem, according to the activists, is the weak legal system. Violence will not be solved. Sometimes it is the criminal groups are behind the violence – but it can also be the rulers themselves.

Antikorruptionsaktivisten In the Sjabunin got grönfärg thrown in the face at a demonstration in the summer. Sjabunin, which leads antikorruptionsrörelsen Anti Corruption Action Center in Kiev, is convinced that the one who gave the order on the attack, interior minister Arsen Avakov.

– Avakovs son is suspected of embezzlement, but the authorities wanted to close down the investigations. We demonstrated outside the general prosecutor's office against the plans then I was attacked.

the Men who attacked Sjabunin work for a structure that belongs to the ministry of the interior.

– They are, in practice, Avakovs men. We identified them and gave information to the police. But nothing happened. The ministry refuses to take responsibility and the police just let it be, says the Syria-Sjabunin.

Olena Shevchenko has been threatened and attacked. In the middle of november, she arranged a demonstration for the rights of sexual minorities in Kiev. The demonstrators were attacked by högerradikaler who sprayed them with pepper sprays and assaulted a journalist. The police interrupted the demonstration.

LGBT activist Olena Shevchenko has been threatened and attacked. Photo: Anders Hansson

" We have repeatedly informed the police about what högergrupper that threatens us. For example, I myself have become uthängd on the network with a name and picture. But the police ignore it, " says Olena Shevchenko, who leads the LGBT-organisation Insight. We meet her at Insight's office in Kiev.

In the summer were a gayparad in Kiev without major incidents. According to Olena Shevchenko, it was a special case.

" the Authorities wanted to show off how tolerant Ukraine is facing one of its international partners. They closed off a whole block in the advance, we marched in a cage. But when we on the way home being chased by right-wing extremists that are out there "on safari" (on the lookout for gay people to beat up) do the police nothing. Our decision-makers do not know what european values mean, they are only interested in european money.

the attacks are against the activists as a sign that the powers that be are afraid of the activists.

For today's Ukrainian elite, we are a threat. They are really afraid of us. That is why we are attacked.

Sjabunin is careful to point out that some of the reforms have worked.

" Decentralisation has been a success. The state gas company Naftogaz has finally been reformed. But the police reform only applied to the patrolling police, and has not at all affected förundersökarna. The judges are just as corrupt. At the same time it is very good to antikorruptionsdomstolen finally to be based in our (it has been halted several times by Porosjenko).

should be much more stringent when it comes to the conditions in order to provide Ukraine with aid and loans. In the last year the EU held inside with the pay out of the 718 million u.s. dollars of assistance since antikorruptionsarbetet had not progressed as agreed.

– the EUROPEAN union looks far too much between the fingers. The IMF demanding consistently that reform must be a fact before you pay out the money, and the EU should also do, says Sjabunin.

Image 1 of 2 Kateryna Dunjak visit irina's and Svitlanas tomb. Photo: Anders Hansson Slide 2 of 2 Kateryna Dunjak in the cemetery. Photo: Anders Hansson Slideshow

Back in Demydiv outside Kiev we will visit irina's and Svitlanas the tomb along with their mother, Kateryna Dunjak. It is cold weather in the air. Single snöfläckar stands white against the brown fjolårsgräset.

Kateryna shows the way. From afar, she starts to speak with his daughters.

" My children! she shouts. My children, my darlings!

On the other hand, rises two high, black tombstones. They are engraved with pictures of two smiling young women. Iryna Nozdrovska was buried in the beginning of January, but the grave still looks fresh. It is covered in gigantic garlands of flowers.

go back to the two tombstones, caress and kissing them in turn. She lays down the flowers, some pieces of confection and pieces at each grave. A symbolic gift to the dead.

" Ira, my daughter, my beloved children! Why did they take you? You said that no one dares to harm one hair on your head! But they took you in any case. My beloved girl. Svita, my beloved children...

for a Long time we where. Kateryna talk and talk. Crying, screaming.

Grief is open, naked. The cold ache in his fingers, Katerynas despair hurts in the chest.

Dunjak invite Kateryna and her husband Serhij Dunjak on the of steaming hot tea in the easy the living room. The trial against the accused for the assassination should have started in november. But when the couple came to the right, they were told that the trial is deferred for an indefinite period of time.

Kateryna Dunjak is convinced that the police is involved in the murder of Irina. Photo: Anders Hansson

" Irina had a tough character. She hated lies, therefore, she had also many enemies. She was often threatened and once, she applied for her to get a bodyguard of the ministry of the interior. But she got no, " says Kateryna.

that the police is involved in the murder of Irina.

the Police refused for many hours to look after her. We had to look around for themselves. They claimed that she had been traced to the Crimea, that she had disappeared to ”do pr” to raise his profile. They tried to get Irynas boyfriend to admit to the murder.

the Reforms currently implemented in Ukraine is almost Kateryna Dunjak to spit.

– Reforms? What you are talking about? Fold the reforms? Our people in power make reforms for themselves. They don't care about us.