The Ukrainian state must protect the LGBT+ communities!

At the end of May four attacks targeting safe spaces and events of LGBT+ have been carried out by well organised members of the far right in Ukraine.

On Saturday 29.05 in Kiev, more than 20 men in masks and balaclavas broke into the territory of the community centre of NGO Insight, shouted out discriminatory slogans and threats, harassing guests and organizers. At the same time, about 20 people tried to break up the discussion about women's rights organized by NGO Insight together with local activists organised in another venue.

The LIGA’s office in Odessa was attacked as well recently, where several windows were broken.

On the 27.05 in Kiev young men broke the window and threw smoke grenades at the premises where the premiere of the documentary ′′Cheers, hey! Dialogues about dignity" was taking place.

Radical groups do not hide their attacks, inciting to intolerance in their social media accounts. Their goal is to intimidate activists and people in need of help from NGOs. Their actions are an attack on the entire civil society, it's an attempt to intimidate those who uphold human rights in Ukraine.

The display of power and the continuous attacks are a result of the impunity and legislative deficiencies. The police do not sanction this hateful and aggressive behaviour, although the attackers are known. In the best case the acts are viewed as ‘hooliganism’, which should be qualified factually as hate crimes.

ILGA-Europe condemns the attacks on Insight NGO and LIGA, their staff and community members who come to these spaces to seek safety. We call for a timely and adequate investigation, sanctioning the perpetrators accordingly so as to end the attacks on the LGBT+ communities in Ukraine! In the same time ILGA-Europe calls for the adoption of amendments to the hate crime legislation making hate crimes as an aggravated circumstance for administrative and criminal offences.