On Thursday Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Valeriya Lutkowska, announced that she and a number of parliamentarians will travel to Brussels to try and persuade the EU to release the country from its responsibility to legislate against discrimination.
In June 2013, the Ukrainian government made a commitment to the EU that it would develop a legal framework to protect minorities from discrimination.
However, it later indicated it would not support a draft law aimed at outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The draft law which proposes amendments to, amongst others, the “Law on Employment” is due to be debated in parliament.
Amnest International has condemned the attempt to deny people’s rights within its borders.
Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International, Denis Krivosheev, said:
“Ukraine cannot pick and choose which citizens should be protected from discrimination. Instead it must honour its commitment to develop a legal framework to combat homophobia and the EU must hold it to that commitment at every opportunity.
“The widespread social discrimination and violence currently faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in Ukraine makes the need for a strong law all the more urgent”.