Analytics

Vyacheslav Likhachev

Some statistics on antisemitism in Ukraine

According to Vyacheslav Likhachev, who is the leading Ukrainian expert on xenophobia and hate crimes, 10 cases of antisemitic vandalism were registered in Ukraine by the monitoring group of the Vaad of Ukraine, a national-level umbrelle Jewish group, since the beginnig of the year. In 2018 12 cases of antisemitic vandalis were registered by the monitoring group. 

Because of lack of adequate legislation, most of those cases were not officially recognised as a hate crimes by the Article No 161 of the Ukrainian Crimes Code.

Not a single case of antisemitic physical violence against persons has been reported in Ukraine since 2016, the expert told also. But antisemitic hate speech stil remain a problem, he noted.  

According to the President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine (JCU) Boris Lozhkin, investigators of the National Police opened 11 criminal proceedings on the offenses related to antisemitism during eight months of 2019.

The most serious offense was the case of an anti-Semitic rowdy who stoned a synagogue. In July, a 33-year-old man threw stones, wrapped in paper with threats and curses against Jews, into the building of the Beys Stern Shulman synagogue in Kryvyi Rih. The stones broke the glass door. The rowdy was detained,” informed Lozhkin.

Besides, according to the JCU President, residents of Chernihiv began to find leaflets in their mailboxes in July 2019, that incite ethnic hatred.

“The leaflets were entitled “Liberation of Ukraine from the Jewish Power” and contained materials of an openly anti-Semitic nature. A pre-trial investigation has been also opened on the fact of the incident,” noted Lozhkin.

According to the JCU President, also in Lviv, the vandals painted a public transport stop with fascist symbols, and in Cherkasy, the funeral home used insulting anti-Semitic statements on the advertising signs. The remaining cases concerned mainly propaganda of anti-Semitism on the Internet. Two of the eleven criminal proceedings were closed due to the absence of crime. The remaining proceedings are ongoing.