This week, Amnesty International St Andrews hosted a Write for Rights in support of Vitalina Koval, an LGBTI activist in the Ukraine. In 2017, while taking part in the International Women’s Day March in Ukraine, Vitalina and other protesters were attacked by several young men who threw red paint all over her, causing her to suffer from chemical burns. Though Vitalina informed the police of this hate crime, they did nothing to help her.
Amnesty is calling on the Minister of the Interior, Arsen Avakov, to carry out a proper and impartial investigation of these crimes and to recognise Vitalina’s important contribution to women and LGBTI rights in the Ukraine.
Here in St Andrews, Amnesty asked students to support Vitalina by writing on colourful pieces of paper which, when put together, form the LGBTI flag.
For more information on this case or to sign the petition, visit Amnesty International’s website.
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