Ukrainian authorities should allow the Kiev Pride Equality March, scheduled for May 25, 2013, in Kiev, to proceed and protect its participants from violence, Human Rights Watch said today. In a letter sent to Kiev’s city administration on May 21, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International urged the office not to ban the Equality March, and to protect its participants from violence.
Kiev’s city administration announced on May 21 that it would seek a court-mandated ban on the march and other events scheduled for May 25, except for events on that date linked to a citywide celebration marking Kiev City Day. The announcement came against the backdrop of mounting opposition to the march by numerous right-wing and religious groups in Ukraine, including the far-right Svoboda party, which threatened violence if the march is allowed to proceed.
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