Ugly message from Chernihiv racists

During the night from 12 to 13 April 2008 the office of the Chernihiv Civic Committee for the Protection of Human Rights [the Civic Committee] was daubed with graffiti and images of an anti-Semitic and xenophobic nature.

The Civic Committee has for many years been active in defending the rights of vulnerable groups, for example, refugees and migrants. Its work is aimed at fighting manifestations of racism, intolerance and xenophobia, improving legal protection of the rights of members of this group, building a climate of mutual understanding and respect for ethnic diversity in the country, as well as inculcating the principle of equal treatment regardless of people’s racial or ethnic origin.

We have recently been hearing not only calls for eviction or restrictions in the rights of those not ethnically Ukrainian from people who would appear to have some psychological difficulties, but even calls for a ban or reprisals against activists and civic organizations providing support and protection to vulnerable groups in society.  Some of these individuals who seem positively disturbed have been engaged in circulating untruthful and insulting information, clearly seeking to prompt an inadequate response from human rights activists. They have now moved to more active measures.

The Chernihiv Civic Committee for the Protection of Human Rights has reported the incident to the police and the Security Service [SBU].