Human rights activists accuse Ukraine’s authorities of toletaring radicals

Group S14 is listed as a terrorist organization

A letter on the situation with ultra-right violence in Ukraine was prepared jointly by Amnesty International, Frontline Defenders, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House, reports Kommersant.

In the document addressed to Minister for Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov and Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, human rights activists report that in recent years, "the number of violent attacks and threats" by ultra-right groups "hiding behind patriotism and "traditional values", has sharply increased in Ukraine. The text mentions organizations such as "S14", "Traditions and Order", "Carpathian Sich" and the "Right Sector".

The human rights activists list numerous attacks of nationalists on ethnic minorities, LGBT representatives, journalists and human rights activists and note that the Ukrainian police often do not even investigate these incidents.

"The almost total impunity enjoyed by members of groups that propagate hatred, violence and discrimination creates the impression that these attacks are allowed by the Ukrainian authorities," the letter says.

The document separately describes the case of the pogrom of the Roma’s settlement, arranged by the National corps on April 20 in Goloseevsky Park.

Human rights activists called on "Ukrainian law enforcement bodies to take effective steps towards illegal acts of group members who propagate hatred and discrimination".

This week, "Hromadske Radio" published the information that nationalists from the organization "S14" received 440 000 UAH from the state budget as a result of the competition.

In January 2018, radicals from the organization S14 blocked the office of the UOJ in Kiev. In the same month, they made an attempt to attack the Tithes (Desiatinny) Church.

In November 2017, the nationalist ultra-right organization S14 was added to the list of international terrorist organizations.

Read also