73.
During its mission, the OHCHR delegation was informed that there had been some
cases where members of the Russian minority have been harassed or even attacked, such as in
the case of the attack against a member of Parliament. While it seems that these violations are
neither widespread nor systemic, the delegation endeavoured to collect information on cases
of incitement to intolerance or hatred and related violence against all minorities. It noted the
following instances:
Ukrainian businessman and politician who on 4 March was reportedly detained and
beaten by the Crimean police and who allegedly called on the crowds in Independence Square,
to “shoot at the heads of Russian citizens who are in Crimea… using snipers”;
On 10 March, in Luhansk, Mr Oleh Lyashko, Leader of the Radical Party of Ukraine
and a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, who is supportive of the new coalition
Government, together with a group of armed men, allegedly detained Mr Arsen Klinchaev,
member of the Luhansk Regional Council and activist of the Young Guard believed to be a
pro-Russian organization. The detention was allegedly accompanied with violence and
threats7;
In another alleged incident in early March, Mr. Dmytro Yarosh, leader of the Right
Sector8, who declared his intention to run for presidency during the upcoming elections on 25
May, posted a call on a Russian-language social network vkontakte.com. He allegedly wrote:
“Ukrainians have always supported the liberation struggle of the Chechen and other Caucasian
peoples. Now it’s the time for you to support Ukraine… As the Right Sector leader, I urge you
to step up the fight. Russia is not as strong as it seems”. The Right Sector later denied that its
leader made such statements, explaining that his website had been hacked. According to other
reports, Mr. Yarosh also allegedly stated that “non-Ukrainians” should be treated according to
principles set forth by Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, although such statements
were publicly refuted by Mr Yarosh himself.
74.
Only isolated anti-Semitic incidents have been reported before and after the recent
period of unrest. In February 2014, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the synagogue in
Zaporizhzhya (central Ukraine)9. On 13 March, a Jewish rabbi was attacked by two
unidentified young men in the Podol neighbourhood of Kyiv10. Another attack was reported
in the same neighbourhood in Kyiv on the following day against a Jewish couple11. However,
when interviewed by an impartial and reliable source representative of the various Jewish
communities in Ukraine, it appears that these communities do not feel threatened, as
confirmed also by the Association of Jewish Organisations and Communities of Ukraine,
publicly in a letter to the President of the Russian Federation on 5 March 2014.
75.
On 1 March, OHCHR received information about alleged attacks against Roma in the
Kyiv Oblast. On 27 February, a young Roma was beaten up in Pereslav-Khmelnitsk. His
attackers accused him of being ‘apolitical and indifferent to the country’s political life’.
According to reports, around 15 masked and armed persons raided Roma houses in Korostena,
7
http://news.meta.ua/cluster:35037395-Liashko-v-Luganske-zaderzhal-lidera-prorossiiskoi-organizatsii/
Right Sector (Ukrainian: Pravyi Sektor) is a Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary collective of several
organizations, described as having far right views. The group's membership has been growing and has been
estimated to be about 5,000. The group first emerged at the end of November 2013 at the Euromaidan protests in
Kiev, as an alliance of far-right Ukrainian nationalist groups.
9
http://www.vaadua.org/news/neizvestnyy-kinul-kokteyl-molotova-v-zdanie-sinagogi-vzaporozhe#sthash.45DHa1qx.dpuf
10
http://112.ua/kriminal/v-podolskom-rayone-kieva-napali-na-ravvina-34122.html
11
http://112.ua/obshchestvo/v-kieve-soversheno-esche-odno-napadenie-na-evreev-34609.html
8
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