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MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM AND OTHER FORMS OF XENOPHOBIA IN
UKRAINE
Anti-Semitism
On June 2nd popular social-political daily newspaper “Young
Ukraine” (“Ukraina Moloda”) has published the materials about “berdichev’s childhood”
of former attorney-general of Ukraine. “Archival materials”, which journalists
have procured (as deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper confessed, the
information has been received from Security Service of Ukraine) testify that
Sviatoslav Mikhailovich Piskun’s parents were Taiba Leibovna Furman (maiden
name – Sviatets) and Rafail Moiseevich Furman. The boy has been registered as Furman
and after parents’ divorce in six years as Sviatets. After four years the
future attorney-general was adopted by his mother’s second husband and received
his present surname and father’s name.
The newspaper insists that the reason of the material publishing is in
the fact that Stanislav Piskun, entering state service, has concealed the information
about reiterated surname changing (in accordance with the law, providing unauthentic
autobiographical information may restrict the access to the state secret). The
newspaper is evidently to disconsider former attorney-general (the newspaper
editor-in-chief is the adviser of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, and Piskun
during last May days has become the relevant figure in confrontation between parliament-governmental
coalition and the President).
To our mind, the publication is “on the verge” of anti-Semitism. Though legally
the material doesn’t contain anti-Semitic motives, the information about former
attorney-general’s “true surname” has been gasped by right-radical editions and
web-sites (for instance, with subtitle “Achtung: Jude!”).
Publishing of the material about former attorney-general’s origin and
childhood has provoked an active discussion among journalists, regarding the
problem of the permissible limits.
Other xenophobia forms
On June 18th in Kiev in Liatoshinskogo Street (Teremka
dormitory area on the outskirts of the capital) group of eight senior schoolchildren-skinheads
have attacked 13-year-old teenagers native of Moldova. It has been found out
later that Kyiv “Nazis” had tracked the teenagers and decided to attack them in
advance. The fight has been stopped by the police officer who happened to go
nearby. Three suffered Moldavians were rendered the medical aid, one of them was
hospitalized, attackers were arrested.
The criminal case has been instituted according to the article “hooliganism”
in spite of the fact that the teenagers didn’t conceal the ideological
character of the crime. Besides, in the mobile phone, belonged to the arrested,
has been found the video recording of “skinheads’ initiation”, where the
teenagers swore to keep Ukrainian nation clean.
Government’s Actions.
International Organizations’ Viewpoint. Public activity.
On June 7th Vise-Minister of Internal Affairs Nikolai
Kupriyanovskiy has claimed that the special subdivision which is to “struggle
with skinheads” will be established on the basis of Criminal Investigation
Department and Underage Affairs Department.
Besides, it is known that new appointment has been introduced in the
structure of Ministry of Internal Affairs – adviser of Minister of Internal
Affairs of Ukraine on human rights, racism and gender issues resistance.
On June 9th at the briefing in Geneva, UNO High Commissioner Administration
for refugees affairs (HCAR) expressed anxiety regarding increase of racist
attacks against refugees and other foreigners in Ukraine. HCAR appreciated
Ukrainian authorities’ efforts to struggle against violence based on the racism
and appealed to the government for intensifying the efforts and taking
appropriate measures to punish everyone who is guilty of such acts. According
to HCAR statement, the office representing the organization in Kyiv, “regularly
receives from the first sources information about racist crimes, attacks,
assault and battery and other xenophobia manifestations regarding refugees in
Ukraine.
Viacheslav Likhachov
member of the expert
group on anti-Semitism resistance
at the World Jewish
Congress
Committee on Former
USSR Affairs
(special for
newspaper “Vesnik “Tkuma””)
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