Council of Europe urges Ukraine to adopt laws against discrimination and hate crimes

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recommends that the Ukrainian authorities adopt laws to combat discrimination and hate crimes, according to a Council of Europe press release. The laws would include sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics in the list of protected grounds.

Illustrative: Unsplash

In a new report on Ukraine, ECRI noted progress and gaps in combating discrimination and hate-motivated violence. The document covers the period from June 2017 to March 2026.

The commission highlighted several positive developments. Among other things, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights has stepped up activities in the field of non-discrimination and strengthened cooperation with civil society. Police officers received training and recommendations on investigating hate crimes, in particular through stronger international cooperation. ECRI also welcomed a number of political commitments that Ukraine has made to ensure LGBTI equality:

“Despite the positive developments, some issues are a cause for concern. LGBTI people appear to be particularly frequently targeted in attacks. Many hate incidents continue to be incorrectly classified and not considered by law enforcement agencies. In addition, access to healthcare remains a problem for LGBTI people, especially transgender people.”

ECRI also drew attention to reports of racist or LGBTI-phobic misconduct by officials of the National Police, the State Border Guard Service and the Armed Forces.

ECRI recommends that the Ukrainian authorities take measures to combat the bullying of LGBTI people in schools, and to promote legislation on equality and hate crimes that explicitly includes sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, ethnic origin and skin colour in the list of protected grounds.

“The adoption of the relevant bill is also envisaged by the Rule of Law Roadmap and the criteria for Ukraine’s readiness to join the EU put forward by the European Commission,” the LGBT Human Rights Nash Svit Center said.

The Nash Svit centre, along with other civil society organisations, was one of the sources of information in the preparation of the ECRI report. Its conclusions and recommendations will serve as benchmarks for the Ukrainian government, as well as for the Council of Europe and the European Union, the organisation said.

Among other things, the commission calls for priority implementation of the recommendation to conduct educational campaigns across the country to prevent hate speech, particularly against LGBTI people.

In August 2025, bill No. 13597, which strengthens protection against hate crimes and discrimination, was registered in the Ukrainian parliament. The document expands administrative and criminal liability for these violations and is intended to ensure an appropriate response to such incidents by law enforcement agencies.

Between January and June 2026, the monitoring network of the Nash Svit centre documented 26 cases of violations of the rights of LGBTQ people related to homophobia, transphobia and discrimination.

ZMINA previously reported that the protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ people is enshrined among the priorities of Ukraine’s state policy. In the new National Human Rights Strategy, the community is included among the groups that may face an increased risk of rights violations or additional obstacles to exercising those rights.

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