3 June 2008. Kyiv,
Ukraine - The UN refugee agency and
International Organizsation for
Migration on behalf on the Diversity Initiative, a network of over 30 organizations
from the international, civil, corporate
and government sectors, working to address suspected
racially-motivated crimes in
Ukraine, express their grave concern about the murder of a Nigerian national,
which occurred in Kyiv last week. He was known to UNHCR since he approached
UNHCR and its partner organizsation
in Kyiv for legal assistance a couple of years ago.
He was found on 29 May in the evening with
numerous knife wounds in Solomenskiy district of Kyiv. The motive for the
attack is not yet known, police reported. UNHCR, IOM and the Diversity
Initiative urge Ukrainian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of
this incident, including the possibility of a racially-motivated act, and keep
them informed of the outcome of the investigation.
During the last two years organizations
monitoring the situation noticed an increasing trend in incidents of violence
towards persons of diverse non-Ukrainian ethnicity in the city of Kyiv and in other parts
of the country. UNHCR and IOM on various occasions have expressed their
concerns about unprovoked attacks, beatings and verbal abuse targeting asylum
seekers, refugees, migrants, other foreigners, including
diplomats and expatriate employees of foreign companies, and visible minorities in Ukraine.
According to anecdotal evidence collected by the Diversity Initiative from
victims, media sources and non-governmental organizations, in 2008 there have
already been 4039 reported
incidents, including 4 murders.
More information at http://www.iom.org.ua/.
03.06.08
