Minorities in Ukraine living in "climate of fear"
Authorities in Ukraine condemned over marked increase in racist attacks described by Amnesty International as "alarming"
Thursday, 10, Jul 2008 11:36
Authorities in Ukraine have been censured over a marked increase in racist attacks which has been described as "alarming".
Amnesty International said on Thursday a "climate of fear" had descended upon foreigners living in Ukraine.
At least six racist murders were reported in the country last year, with a further four racist killings taking place in 2008.
In one case cited by Amnesty International a South Korean man was attacked in the street by a gang of four people wearing spiked boots who stamped on the victim's head "until his brains came out".
Another case saw a Ghanaian refugee attacked by a gang of ten people wielding metal bars and bottles who discussed cutting his throat; although the attack was later dismissed as a non-racist robbery by police.
The new climate has also seen minorities subjected to harassment, discrimination and abuse from state officials and members of the public, today's report from Amnesty International claimed.
Roma villagers have been arbitrarily fingerprinted meanwhile, with 'foreign-looking' people subject to random document checks.
In addition, more than 300 graves in a Jewish cemetery in Odessa were vandalised with swastikas and the message "happy holocaust".
Amnesty International campaigns director Tim Hancock said racial discrimination was not solely confined to Ukraine but that Kiev was failing to meet the challenges it presented.
"There has been an alarming rise in racist attacks in Ukraine in recent years and foreigners and ethnic minorities now live in a climate of fear," he explained.
"Ukraine's police, prosecutors and politicians need to urgently confront the scourge of racism, not sidestep it by calling hate crimes acts of 'hooliganism'.
"In the UK it took an outcry after Stephen Lawrence's murder for the authorities to finally wake up to the challenge of confronting violent racism, and Ukraine effectively needs to do the same."
Tomas Lukayi, director of the Afghan Association of Kiev, said all foreigners of any race were in danger.
"We fear for our children who are going to schools and kindergarten... they can be attacked or killed at any time," Mr Lukayi admitted.
Amnesty International is calling on the Ukrainian authorities to create an inter-agency body to combat racial discrimination and to begin monitoring and publicising all racist incidents across the country, as well as ending the classification of racist crimes as "hooliganism".