On 22 April 2017, at night from Friday to Saturday, the main office of the LGBT Association ‘LIGA’, which is the private property of the organization in Mykolaiv, survived an attack.

Roughly, at 5am, the unknown person intruded the territory of the organization, neutralized external security system, cut and stole the surveillance cameras, brought down the office’s electrical network that nearly led to the fire in the premise, damaged spotlights and door intercom system. Metallic fence around the building did not protect this equipment from barbaric actions. Thus, he left the Association’s Community Centre in Mykolaiv without external protection. The organization has applied to police; the investigation is pending.

The Association’s workers suspect that the goal of the criminal actions was the further attack on the organization. For security reasons, temporarily there are no events for the LGBT people in the Community Centre, and the private security company insures the round the clock surveillance.

We are convinced that this is the hate crime in response to the openness of LGBT community of Ukraine. With this latest action, the homophobic people «punish» us for speaking aloud. After the statements made by KyivPride and OdesaPride, even the security companies continue cooperation with us with caution, and for their own security, they increase the services price at least twice.

Just a reminder: LIGA installed the external surveillance cameras and metal fence around the organization’s office survived an after a series of attacks on the Community Centre. Last of them took place in 2014. Interesting fact that the cameras showed to be useful not only in counteracting crimes, but in cooperation with police. When the LIGA’s Community Centre was attacked at night in 2014, and alarm went off, the Association staff called the police. Squad that came on call drew up a protocol. On the next day, the head of the organization with the lawyer came to the police station where they were told that there was no protocol, and no one came on call at night to the office. We had to show the recording from the camera, which showed a police car coming to the LIGA’s Community Center and police entering the building. Only then, they found a protocol, which was drawn up at night. However, the investigation by law enforcement was not officially carried out.

LGBT Association LIGA officially works in Ukraine for over 20 years, protecting human rights of representatives of the LGBT community in the country and has separate departments in the cities of Odesa, Kherson and Kyiv.

Press service of the LGBT Association ‘LIGA’.