You Are in Danger: What to Do?
Ukraine has seen a rise in physical attacks and so-called “raids” by aggressive groups of young men targeting minors and alternative youth.
The pretext for an attack can be anything: sex, sexual orientation, skin color, hair length or color, clothing, and so on.
We have put together a short guide that may help you in a dangerous situation:
Avoid crowds of people who are drinking alcohol, look aggressive, or are dressed in military-style/tactical clothing.
Save the numbers of human rights organizations that can provide emergency legal aid in your phone contacts.
Insight legal service contacts: 0682468878, [email protected].
- If you carry self-defense tools permitted by current Ukrainian law (pepper spray and the like), make sure you know how to use them.
Never use self-defense tools or objects unless you have to!
- If you need to distract attackers and get the attention of passersby, you can use a whistle, a personal alarm keychain, a bright flashlight, and so on (we recommend getting at least one of these in advance).
Brief instructions and document templates are available in the Telegram chatbot https://t.me//fight_back_bot (developed by the Open Dialogue Foundation and the Center for Civil Liberties).
- If aggressive individuals are harassing you, try to stay calm and read the situation around you (how many potential attackers there are, what they look like, whether you can run away/use a self-defense tool/get the attention of passersby, and so on).
- If you can run away — do it.
If you could not avoid an attack, be sure to call:
- the police — 102
- an ambulance (if needed) — 103
- call people you trust and human rights organizations. (Besides Insight, you can turn to the LGBT Human Rights Nash Svit Center, ZMINA Human Rights Center, and others).
- Be sure to take photos/video of any injuries you have sustained; go to a medical facility to get a document listing your injuries and their nature.
- Be sure to file a police report and seek help and advice from human rights organizations. Remember that Insight NGO provides free legal and advocacy support to LGBTQI+ people.
Take care of yourself! Safety in Ukraine is for everyone!
Author: Anna Lytvynova, lawyer at Insight NGO.
Author: Anna Lytvynova