CEELI Institute

In 2025 Ukraine Needs Support More Than Ever! 🇺🇦 When Russia’s war of aggression struck Ukraine, the CEELI Institute was there to help. Proving support is a marathon and not a sprint, so we didn’t stop at providing immediate relief for refugees arriving daily in Prague. In the past three years, we have steadily grown our support of Ukraine, working closely with Ukrainian officials, civil society representatives, and other brave individuals on the ground. 🤝With our Ukrainian fellowship program, we strengthen civil society activists facing difficult wartime conditions. 🌟 With the summer law school, we ensure that a new generation of Ukrainian lawyers are ready to address the challenges ahead. 🌐 Lastly, our anticorruption efforts provide training and tools critical for the rebuilding of an independent Ukraine. Please join us in this mission and support our efforts so that we can continue this important work! Donate here: https://lnkd.in/e3hxHZUx #SupportUkraine #CivilSociety

🕯️„Trench candles" are more than just a light source. These useful candles are made of leftover wax, paraffin, or simply old candles. The mixture is then poured into prepared metal jars with cardboard. This simple reuse helps soldiers with light and keeps them warm in their shelters, sometimes they are even used as stoves. Alena, whose work you see in the pictures, started making them back in 2022 when her husband joined the army. This way she helped his battalion and now she helps several different battalions with her work. To continue her craft, she appreciates donations of used or unwanted candles. 🔍Keep an eye out for them after the holidays or while doing some seasonal cleaning and bring what you don’t need to the special collection box outside of our Villa. See Alena’s hard work here:https://lnkd.in/eWCx9iGr CZ 🕯️ „Zákopové svíčky“ jsou víc než jen zdrojem světla. Tyto svíčky jsou vyrobeny ze zbytků vosku, parafínu nebo prostě ze starých svíček. Směs se poté nalije do připravených kovových nádob s kartonem. Tento jednoduchý způsob využití starých svíček pomáhá vojákům udržovat teplo a světlo v jejich úkrytech, někdy se dokonce používají jako kamna. Paní Alena, jejíž práci můžete vidět na obrázcích, začala tyto svíčky vyrábět už v roce 2022, kdy její manžel vstoupil do armády. Pomáhala tak jeho praporu a nyní svou prací pomáhá i několika dalším praporům. Vždy si velmi cení každé použité či nechtěné svíčky, kterou jí někdo daruje, aby mohla pokračovat ve své snaze pomoci. 🔍Pokud máte doma po Vánocích nějaké nepotřebné svíčky (například z adventního věnce), můžete je vhodit do boxu před Vilou Grébovka. Práci paní Aleny můžete vidět zde:https://lnkd.in/eWCx9iGr #TrenchCandles #Ukraine

🚨Human Rights Issues During Belarus Political Crisis Lika Yur'eva, a human rights journalist from Belarus who has been awarded a fellowship under the CEELI Institute's program for promising civil society activists, worked on several projects in favor of the rule of law during her time with CEELI, one of which is a research paper on human rights issues during Belarus political crisis. Over the past four years, Belarusian journalism has undergone significant transformation: independent media have been forced to operate outside the country, and many journalists have left the profession due to professional and personal crises. 🔍According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, as of the end of August 2024, 37 journalists remain imprisoned in Belarus, and 33 media outlets and organizations have been flagged by the state as “extremist formations”. In total, Belarusian journalists have been sentenced to 247 years and 2 months of imprisonment.  Another obstacle that is evident from Lika’s publication is that the political crisis in the country is not the only issue; there is also a professional crisis in journalism as the conditions of work, methods of sourcing information, and communication with story subjects have all evolved. To learn more about the other challenges the Belarusian press is facing and its intersections with human rights read the full article 📄 https://lnkd.in/evbQjTPF  #BelarusianMedia #HumanRights #BelarusCrisis #HumanRightsJournalism #CivilSociety #FreedomOfExpression

Scholar of the Year and a CEELI alumna! As we strive to showcase the paths of our Summer School Graduates after their time at the CEELI Institute, today we take the opportunity to congratulate Yevheniia Murzo🌟 Yevheniia received on the 6th of December a prestigious “Scholar of the Year” award for the year 2024. She is a successful investigator and an alumna of CEELI’s 2024 Summer Law School💡 As Yevheniia summarized herself 📣 “Receiving the "Scholar of the Year" award was not just a recognition; it was a symbol of the long hours of work, searching, and determination that led to new heights. It is about believing in ideas that you are ready to defend. It is about those who stand by your side and believe in you even when you might hesitate. It is about resilience in the face of challenges and the ability to create something new, even when it feels like time and circumstances are working against you. The award is not a conclusion it is an inspiration to keep going.” We congratulate Yevheniia once again and wish her, along with all our Summer School graduates, continued success in their future experiences! #ScholarOfTheYear #SummerSchool #WomenInLaw #AcademicAchievement

🎉 Exciting News! 🎉 We’re thrilled to announce that the CEELI Institute has officially joined the EU Network against Corruption in December! 🇪🇺 The European Commission recognizes the value of our expertise and experience in promoting the rule of law, judicial integrity, and anti-corruption efforts worldwide. For over 20 years, CEELI has worked with judges, lawyers, and civil society to strengthen justice systems and combat corruption. The EU Network Against Corruption serves as a platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing among experts, institutions, and civil society organizations across Europe. Together, members work to identify best practices, tackle corruption effectively, and build more transparent and accountable societies. We are honored to contribute to this initiative and look forward to sharing our experience while learning from fellow Network members. Learn more about the Network here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEz7un3n #AntiCorruption #EU #CEELIInstitute #GoodGovernance #RuleOfLaw #Transparency #StrongerTogether

This holiday season, the CEELI Institute wishes you peace, joy, and a prosperous new year! 🎁 We are looking forward to more years like this one continuing our work advancing the rule of law, developing new partnerships, and many fruitful projects and connections. 🌟See you in 2025!🌟 #HolidaySeason #NewYear2025

Meeting with Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office 🇺🇦 Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) plays a crucial role in Ukraine's efforts to combat corruption and, over the past two years as an independent anti-corruption body, it has been actively ending impunity through high-level prosecutions. The CEELI Institute for over a decade has collaborated with anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine, offering professional training, networking opportunities, and organizing international workshops and conferences to strengthen the legal frameworks supporting these agencies. This week The CEELI Institute was delighted to host Oleksander Klymenko, Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), and Ivan Varetskyi, Head of the International Department, at Villa Grebovka. During the meeting, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and discussed future activities. These will include advanced training programs based on internal assessments of prosecutors' needs and more. The CEELI Institute remains committed to supporting the development and discussion of potential legislative drafts in collaboration with international experts. Additionally, the CEELI Institute expressed its readiness to provide training for newly appointed SAPO prosecutors, as well as in-depth professional development for current ones. The Institute will also strive to continue facilitating meetings between Ukrainian prosecutors and their counterparts from EU Member States. What was also addressed was the need for legislative reforms —such as halting the running of the statute of limitations for fugitives, establishing the right to create Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) with European partners, and creating an independent forensic institute in Ukraine. We are looking forward to future cooperation! 🤝 #Ukraine #AntiCorruption #LegalReform #RuleOfLaw

Conference in Ohrid, North Macedonia 🇲🇰 On 5-6 December, the CEELI Institute, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Skopje and the Association of Judges of the Republic of North Macedonia, co-organized the conference Promoting the Trust and Authority of the Judiciary through Greater Independence and Transparency. The event brought together judges from across the country to discuss crucial issues facing the judiciary. 🔍 Discussions focused on the North Macedonia Academy of Judges and Public Prosecutors, emphasizing the importance of preserving the academy's unified nature. It was also underscored that elections for the Judicial Council and the Prosecutorial Council must remain free from interference by any external entities, including the executive and legislative branches. Furthermore, participants expressed the need for these councils to serve a dual purpose: addressing disciplinary matters while simultaneously supporting the professional growth and integrity of judges and prosecutors. 🌐 CEELI’s Judicial Exchange Network was represented by Judges Dren Rogova (Kosovo) and Nebojsa Djurisic (Serbia), who participated in a panel discussing best international practices and recommendations for strengthening judicial independence through transparency and accountability. During the panel, they stressed the value of CEELI Institute's Guidelines on Judicial Vetting, published in March 2024. #NorthMacedonia #JudicialIndependence #RuleOfLaw #LegalCommunity #JudicialReform

🇭🇺🚨Hungarian Reforms Threatening Judicial Independence During a recent Core Group Meeting of the Central and Eastern European Judicial Exchange Network at the CEELI Institute, Judge Tamás Matusik shared concerning news from Hungary. In November, the Hungarian National Judicial Council approved a Ministry of Justice-drafted agreement linking judicial pay raises to reforms threatening judicial independence. These reforms include transferring judges without consent, raising the minimum judicial age from 30 to 35, requiring non-judicial experience, and removing certain cases from court jurisdiction. Despite the salary raise, it fell short of the 35% sought by the Council to offset inflation. The agreement was signed on November 22 by key judicial and governmental leaders.  🔍Criticism followed, with Judge Tamás Matusik denouncing the agreement as politically pressured in a widely-viewed interview. Over 700 judges have since signed statements condemning the agreement, with protests growing on the Hungarian Association of Judges' website. This violation and subsequent unrest are alarming news from Hungary. Link to the interview https://lnkd.in/eS9sRdxA #JudicialIndependence #Hungary #JudicialReforms #RuleOfLaw

Thank you to the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary for the invitation and great opportunity to discuss judicial vetting at the last ENCJ lunch webinar. 💻 Extraordinary judicial vetting process—when all sitting judges are vetted—is strong and dangerous medicine that should only be the last resort for judicial systems that absolutely need it to address endemic corruption. While it can yield results, it risks collapsing the whole judicial system as some countries have experienced the resignation of more than half their judges in the face of vetting, and the process runs the risk of selective politicization if not carried out transparently. It also requires extensive international support and domestic collaboration among the political powers. This was our message in last week's online discussion with members of the European Network for Councils of Judiciary (ENCJ).    The CEELI’s Guidelines on Judicial Vetting were launched in March 2024 and developed by CEELI's CEE Network core group judges, representing the collaborative effort of 33 judges from different jurisdictions throughout the region. Available in five languages, they provide a comparative resource on the extraordinary remedy of judicial vetting and it is a practical tool assisting judges, policymakers, practitioners, civil society actors, and journalists across the region. ➡️ Access the Vetting Guidelines here: https://lnkd.in/eFyGNbVE