Ukraine | HCRW

Ukraine regularly submits data on hate crimes to ODIHR. In 2019, the National Police of Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs worked with ODIHR to publish an information booklet on Categorizing and Investigating Hate Crimes in Ukraine: A Practical Guide. Ukraine's National Human Rights Strategy includes an objective to "create a system for preventing, combating, documenting and investigating hate crimes". In 2020, a working group co-ordinated by the Human Rights Commissioner of the Ukrainian Parliament was created to improve hate crime recording procedures.

SELECT YEAR

Download the 2015 hate crime report for Ukraine

OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2023	Not available	Not available	Not available
2022	150	Not available	Not available
2021	Not available	Not available	Not available
2020	203	170	6
2019	256	235	4
2018	178	149	6
2017	163	94	3
2016	144	76	2
2015	157	79	3
2014	33	33	2
2013	Not available	Not available	Not available
2012	3	2	Not available
2011	5	Not available	Not available
2010	5	Not available	Not available
2009	2	Not available	Not available

About 2015 Data

Reported figures include number of cases of violation of equality (art. 161 of the Criminal Code), which may have included violence.

Download official data

National developments

The National Police of Ukraine instituted a number of measures to improve efficiency in recording and investigating hate crimes in 2015. The main investigation department of the National Police issued an instruction, "on the provision of information concerning the investigation of criminal offenses committed on the grounds of racial, ethnic or religious intolerance." According to this instruction, individual employees who supervise the investigation of these criminal cases were assigned to the investigation departments of the National Police at the regional level, and are also to inform the main investigation department of the results of their investigations.

An employee of the main investigation department of the National Police was assigned to monitor the unified register of pre-trial investigations on the progress and results of investigations of criminal proceedings initiated on the basis of racial, ethnic or religious intolerance, as well as the analysis and verification of information on hate crimes which appear in mass media.

Specialists from the main investigation department of the National Police, in co-operation with representatives from the Lviv State University of Internal Affairs, developed recommendations on the "peculiarities of investigating crimes committed by bias motive," aimed at improving the skills of investigative units addressing these crimes.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Ukraine has not reported on cases of hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech and/or discrimination.

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Download incident data

Reports

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The Diversity Initiative, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported 11 physical assaults and one incident of vandalism.

Anti-Semitic hate crime

The Congress of National Communities of Ukraine (CNCU), the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) reported two arson attacks. The CNCU and the EAJC reported one physical assault, three arson attacks, an attempted arson attack, two incidents of the desecration of graves, 12 cases of damage to property and one theft. The EAJC and the SMM reported one incident of the desecration of graves.

Anti-Roma hate crime

The Diversity Initiative, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported two incidents of vandalism. The Congress of National Communities of Ukraine (CNCU) reported one attempted arson attack and one incident of vandalism.

Anti-Muslim hate crime

The Congress of National Communities of Ukraine (CNCU) reported one physical assault. The CNCU also reported two incidents of damage to property in territories that are not controlled by the government of Ukraine.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

Nash Mir reported four incidents in which gay men were murdered; 40 physical assaults, of which 26 caused injuries and three were committed by large groups; four incidents of robbery and one threat. The Congress of National Communities of Ukraine (CNCU) and the European Centre for Democracy Development also reported the murder of an LGBT activist.

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

The European Centre for Democracy Development reported two physical assaults carried out by groups in altercations on church premises, and three arson attacks on churches.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that they have continued to co-operate with civil society within the framework of the Diversity Initiative monitoring network. At the initiative of the UNHCR and the IOM, a working group is being established under the auspices of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine to improve the investigation and documentation of hate crimes. The UNHCR has strengthened training for protection monitors on identifying hate crimes and xenophobia, with an emphasis on minorities such as Roma, Crimean Tatars, and sexual and religious minorities. Also, in December 2015, the UNHCR conducted training for new patrol police in Kyiv, covering the issues of cultural diversity and hate crimes, and, jointly with the IOM and ODIHR, organized an expert roundtable on combating hate crimes in Ukraine.

In its "Concluding observations on the twenty-second and twenty-third periodic reports of Ukraine", the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended that all hate crimes be duly registered, investigated and prosecuted under article 161 of the criminal code, that disaggregated statistics on hate crimes be compiled, and the continuation of training police on hate crime.