The European Union demands that civil activities in Ukraine be protected, attacks on them be investigated, and those responsible for the attacks be brought to justice, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Hugues Mingarelli has said.

"It is not that easy to keep an eye on the political class. It is probably the reason for the fact that in the past year more than 50 civil activists have been attacked. Kateryna Handziuk was one of the latest victims of those tragic attacks. Such a trend is very worrisome to us. We herewith call on the authorities of this country to do everything they can to protect members of civil society and bring those who ordered and carried out those crimes to justice," he said at the Seventh Forum for Organizational Development of Civil Society in Ukraine that is taking place in Kyiv on November 29.

Mingarelli said the EU will continue to monitor how such incidents are investigated in Ukraine.

"I would like to assure you that we will insist the authorities do everything they can to stop crimes against civil activists," the ambassador said.

The diplomat mentioned that the EU is ready to share its best practices and innovative approaches in the development of civil society.

"The Ukrainian authorities understand that Ukraine is interested in supporting, assisting and developing civil society here," Mingarelli said.