Authorities violate principle of non-discrimination during conflict with Roma people in Loshchynivka village – Ukrainian Ombudsperson’s representative

Representative of Ukrainian Ombudsperson for children’s rights, non-discrimination and gender equality Aksana Filipishyna has sent an inquiry to the chairman of the Odesa Regional State Administration and the chairman of the Loshchynivka village council with the requirement to resolve the ethnic conflict in this village.

In addition, the corresponding inquiry was sent to the head of the National Police department in Odesa region with a request to ensure public safety and order in the village.

According to the Ombudsperson’s press service, the inquiry indicates that the local authorities violated the principle of non-discrimination in the field of public relations during the conflict between the Roma community and other residents of Loshchynivka village.

“According to the media reports, the local residents received information on August 28 that two Roma residents of the village are suspected of committing intentional homicide of a minor and lynched all representatives of the Roma community in the village: intimidated them, destroyed their houses, tried to arbitrarily evict them from the territory of the village. Instead of taking measures to resolve the conflict, the Loshchynivka village council made the illegal decision to evict the Roma from the village, thus violating the right to freedom of movement and free choice of place of residence, as well as establishing a direct discrimination on the grounds of ethnical (national) origin,” the press release reads.

The Ombudsperson’s office notes that, according to Article 5 of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the signatory parties undertake to prohibit and eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee equality of every person before the law. In accordance with Article 18 of the law of Ukraine on national minorities in Ukraine, any direct or indirect restriction of the rights and freedoms of citizens based on nationality is prohibited and is punished with law.

The Ombudsperson’s representative indicated that the qualitative implementation of the action plan for implementation of the strategy to protect and integrate the Roma minority in Ukrainian society until 2020, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated on 11, 2013 would allow to prevent, in particular, the situation in Loshchynivka.

August 27, the body of a girl born in 2007 was found in the village of Loshchynivka of Izmail district of Odesa region with signs of violent death. A Roma community representative was detained on suspicion of murder. In the evening on August 27, the villagers started to demolish the houses where Roma lived. As a result, one house was set on fire, furniture and windows were broken in others. None of representatives of the Roma community was injured.

August 28, the village residents demanded to evict all the representatives of this nationality from the village. On Sunday, several hundred of residents gathered for the village meeting. They demanded to convene an emergency session of the village council, which would support the decision of the villagers’ meeting. The corresponding session was held immediately, the village council members supported the decision of the community.

Roma people realized they would not be able to live peacefully in this village in such circumstances, so a compromise was reached on their moving to other localities of the district.

The police are now conducting investigations into the murder and into the riots in the village.