Public discussion: “Attacks on LGBTQI-activists in Ukraine: why there is no effective investigation?”
On Friday, June 16, from 10:30 to 11:30 a public discussion: “Attacks on LGBTQI-activists in Ukraine: why there is no effective investigation?” will be held at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center (Kyiv, 2 Khreshchatyk Street).
Before the March of Equality in Kyiv, human rights defenders draw attention to the menacing situation with activists who advocate for the rights of the LGBTQI-community in Ukraine: a number of attacks on activists and their offices, threats, beatings were recorded during three years after Euromaidan. None of these cases have been effectively investigated and the perpetrators have not been brought to justice.
In a number of cases, police has not initiated criminal proceedings or misclassified the attacks (not seeing a homophobic motive in them), in other cases the victims themselves have not applied to law enforcement bodies because of fears for their safety or lack of trust to the law enforcement system.
The lack of effective investigation by law enforcement agencies and the total impunity of criminals leads to new crimes and to an ever-growing spiral of violence. In some cases, attacks were repeated due to the lack of response from the legal system.
Human rights defenders call to stop this disgraceful practice in the country that recently hosted Eurovision under the motto “Celebrate diversity!”.
Participants of the discussion:
- Tetiana Pechonchyk, Chair of the Board of the Human Rights Information Centre;
- Oksana Guz, lawyer, Senior Partner of the Prove Lawyer Association;
- Oksana Pokalchuk, Executive Director of the Amnesty International Ukraine;
- Zoryan Kis, coordinator of Freedom House projects in Ukraine;
- Katarzyna Wenzel, representative of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland);
- Affected LGBTQI-activists.
Representatives of law enforcement agencies, embassies and international organizations are also invited to participate in the event.
Simultaneous interpretation from/into English will be provided during the event.
***
The event is organized by the Human Rights Information Centre, Amnesty International in Ukraine and Freedom House in Ukraine. For more information contact by the phone (067)445-95-43 or e-mail: tp@humanrights.org.ua
