In Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has established interagency law enforcement structures to combat the illegal activities of neo-Nazi and racist groups. Representatives from the Ministry participated in briefings, roundtables and meetings on the issues of combating racism and xenophobia, which also included various NGOs. On 5 July, the Ministry of Internal Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ODIHR to launch the implementation of TAHCLE in Ukraine.
Official figures record three hate crimes, of which one is a murder and the two others are cases of violation of citizens’ equality – i.e. either incitement to hatred or criminal discrimination.
In Poland and Ukraine, the Never Again Association implemented the UEFA Euro 2012 Social Responsibility Program called “Respect Diversity”, which involved various anti-racial awareness-raising activities before and during the European Championship.
The African Centre reported two physical assaults, including one by a group, involving the throwing of stones. The victims were all of African descent.
The Diversity Initiative and the Congress of National Communities reported seven physical assaults, including five resulting in serious injury and four carried out by a group; and one attack involving a knife.
The Congress of National Communities reported a further five physical assaults, including one carried out by a group; two attacks involving a knife; and one attack where the victim was intentionally hit by a car.
The Diversity Initiative reported a further five physical assaults, including three stabbings; and one case of damage to a plaque commemorating the deportation of the Crimean Tatars.
The majority of victims of the assaults were people of African descent. There was also one Vietnamese male victim.
World Without Nazism reported two physical assaults resulting in serious injury, including an assault with a brick and one involving a knife attack.
The European Roma Rights Centre reported an arson attack against the homes of Roma families.
The Diversity Initiative, the Congress of National Communities, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and World Without Nazism reported one serious physical assault against a rabbi by a group using pepper spray.
The Diversity Initiative, the Congress of National Communities and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress reported a further two physical assaults, carried out by a group.
The Diversity Initiative, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and World Without Nazism reported one case of graffiti on a Jewish memorial sign.
The Diversity Initiative and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress reported one attempted arson attack against a synagogue; one case of damage to property; one incident of grave desecration; one incident of graffiti on a synagogue, and four incidents of desecration of Holocaust memorial sites.
The Diversity Initiative and World Without Nazism reported an arson attack on a Jewish cemetery.
The Diversity Initiative reported a further arson attack against a house occupied by Orthodox Jews and the vandalism of a Holocaust memorial.
World Without Nazism reported a further serious assault against a Jewish man, requiring hospital treatment.
World Without Nazism and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress reported the desecration of a Holocaust memorial site.
World Without Nazism and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and the Congress of National Minorities reported a further case of desecration to a Holocaust memorial site.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress reported a further case of desecration to a Holocaust memorial.
The Diversity Initiative reported one case of grave desecration and an arson attack against a mosque.
Our World Gay and Lesbian Centre reported 11 physical assaults, including nine involving serious injury and three by a group; and one case of threats involving a gun against a gay man. The victims were mainly gay men and also included two bisexual men and three gay women. Transgender Europe (TGEU) reported one case of damage to materials displayed during a LGBT photo exhibition.
Nash Mir developed capacity building activities and training for its regional monitoring network. The organization also developed and distributed information materials on legal assistance for victims of human rights abuses and crimes.
The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, encouraged Ukraine to further pursue its efforts on training law enforcement to respond to hate crimes in order to ensure proper investigation.
The UNHCR reported an arson attack by Molotov cocktails against Roma homes.
The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, expressed concern about violence against LGBT persons in Ukraine and encouraged the government to adopt anti-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation as a protected characteristic.
ODIHR observes – in the context of the disparity between reported official and IGO/NGO information on Ukraine – that reliable data can only be collected through mechanisms that capture all cases reported to law enforcement, and that victims should be encouraged to report hate crimes.