Nikolaev local authorities ban action commemorating International Day Against Homophobia!
20/05/2008
Submitted by
ILGA-Europe
In Ukraine rights for freedom of speech is violated.
Friday, 16.05.2008
Nikolaev, Ukraine
On 16-17th of May 2008 in Nikolaev an informational action with the elements of flashmob* should have taken place. It was dedicated to the 17th of May - International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) in the framework of the campaign "All different - all equal" that is the youth campaign of the Council of Europe. Across the globe, this day directs people’s attention to the problem of human rights violation, humiliation of dignity, persecution and discrimination on the base of sexual orientation and gender identity. The organizer of the given action is Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals "LiGA".
The action aimed at overcoming prejudice and stereotypes towards people of homosexual orientation. The program of the action included posters placement on the advertising boards of the city, conduction of three street actions by personnel of the organization and volunteers of the Nikolaev Resource Center and showing of documentary film in the office premises for representatives of LGBT community.
According to the current legislation of Ukraine, informational action is not a manifestation or meeting, march, protest rally and that is why it does not need to be approved by local authorities.
Representatives of our organization informed Nikolaev Regional Center for Family, Children and Youth on 14th May and Nikolaev Municipal Executive Committee on 15th May about the action. Besides this, we have informed for several times our partner nongovernmental organizations and members of Coordination Council on tuberculosis, drug addiction and HIV/AIDS Counteraction about our intensions to conduct the informational action in May 2008.
Today, May 16 at 9 AM, Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals "LiGA" was handed in a written notification about prohibition of any activities or action conduction at indicated time. Local authorities have referred [citation] “… there was an appeal form leaders of several religious denominations … representatives of Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, Christianity of Evangelist belief, the Seventh Day Adventists, Eparchy of Christianity and Baptist, Union of Independent Orthodox churches… that represent almost ten thousands of parishioners with the demand to local authorities to forbid the conduction of the action by representatives of sexual minorities”. Motivation of prohibition was explained by citation: “Conduction of this action creates danger of civil order, disturb public peace and incite to mass riots and conflicts”
As law-abiding citizens of our country we obeyed the decision and canceled all planned activities. All produced production will be exposed on the website of the organization www.gay.nikolaev.ua for the information of interested persons. But we consider this to be a serious infringement of freedom of expression and assembly, about which national and international partners will be informed in particular Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, COC Netherlands, OSCE, UN Human Rights Committee, ILGA-Europe, International HIV/AIDS Alliance and diplomatic missions to Ukraine. In addition to this, we intend to highlight the case during the press-conference in UNIAN on 17th of May, 2008 in Kiev.
We consider actions of local authorities to be unlawful. We have intensions to assert our rights in the legal order. The information on the further development of the case ill be disseminated along the process.
[END]
***
Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals “LiGA” (Nikolaev, Ukraine) is a non-profit making organization that was registered in December 1996 by Nikolaev Executive Committee. The Association was created with the purpose of consolidation of people with homo- and bisexual orientation aimed to their integration into the Ukrainian society by means of the lobbying of LGBT-community’s interests, conduction of educative work in propaganda of healthy way of life and provision of various services for LGBT community in the South of Ukraine. Today thanks to the work of volunteers and workers of the Association and moreover to the support of our partners and donors we develop partner relationships with governmental and civil structures at national and international levels.
Оleg Аlyokhnin
Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals “LiGA”
www.gay.nikolaev.ua
Friday, 16.05.2008
Nikolaev, Ukraine
On 16-17th of May 2008 in Nikolaev an informational action with the elements of flashmob* should have taken place. It was dedicated to the 17th of May - International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) in the framework of the campaign "All different - all equal" that is the youth campaign of the Council of Europe. Across the globe, this day directs people’s attention to the problem of human rights violation, humiliation of dignity, persecution and discrimination on the base of sexual orientation and gender identity. The organizer of the given action is Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals "LiGA".
The action aimed at overcoming prejudice and stereotypes towards people of homosexual orientation. The program of the action included posters placement on the advertising boards of the city, conduction of three street actions by personnel of the organization and volunteers of the Nikolaev Resource Center and showing of documentary film in the office premises for representatives of LGBT community.
According to the current legislation of Ukraine, informational action is not a manifestation or meeting, march, protest rally and that is why it does not need to be approved by local authorities.
Representatives of our organization informed Nikolaev Regional Center for Family, Children and Youth on 14th May and Nikolaev Municipal Executive Committee on 15th May about the action. Besides this, we have informed for several times our partner nongovernmental organizations and members of Coordination Council on tuberculosis, drug addiction and HIV/AIDS Counteraction about our intensions to conduct the informational action in May 2008.
Today, May 16 at 9 AM, Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals "LiGA" was handed in a written notification about prohibition of any activities or action conduction at indicated time. Local authorities have referred [citation] “… there was an appeal form leaders of several religious denominations … representatives of Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, Christianity of Evangelist belief, the Seventh Day Adventists, Eparchy of Christianity and Baptist, Union of Independent Orthodox churches… that represent almost ten thousands of parishioners with the demand to local authorities to forbid the conduction of the action by representatives of sexual minorities”. Motivation of prohibition was explained by citation: “Conduction of this action creates danger of civil order, disturb public peace and incite to mass riots and conflicts”
As law-abiding citizens of our country we obeyed the decision and canceled all planned activities. All produced production will be exposed on the website of the organization www.gay.nikolaev.ua for the information of interested persons. But we consider this to be a serious infringement of freedom of expression and assembly, about which national and international partners will be informed in particular Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, COC Netherlands, OSCE, UN Human Rights Committee, ILGA-Europe, International HIV/AIDS Alliance and diplomatic missions to Ukraine. In addition to this, we intend to highlight the case during the press-conference in UNIAN on 17th of May, 2008 in Kiev.
We consider actions of local authorities to be unlawful. We have intensions to assert our rights in the legal order. The information on the further development of the case ill be disseminated along the process.
[END]
***
Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals “LiGA” (Nikolaev, Ukraine) is a non-profit making organization that was registered in December 1996 by Nikolaev Executive Committee. The Association was created with the purpose of consolidation of people with homo- and bisexual orientation aimed to their integration into the Ukrainian society by means of the lobbying of LGBT-community’s interests, conduction of educative work in propaganda of healthy way of life and provision of various services for LGBT community in the South of Ukraine. Today thanks to the work of volunteers and workers of the Association and moreover to the support of our partners and donors we develop partner relationships with governmental and civil structures at national and international levels.
Оleg Аlyokhnin
Nikolaev Association for Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals “LiGA”
www.gay.nikolaev.ua
