Ukraine / 24-10-2012
Antisemitism prior to the elections
Bukovina – Unknown persons distributed leaflets that incite antisemitism in communities connected to election precinct no. 204 located at the center of the city of Chernivtsi in the Chernovtsy region.
In antisemitic leaflets was written that the runner for Parliament from precinct no. 204 (areas of Khutihnsky, Kalmentsky, Sukiriansky and Zestenovsky) from the “ODER” party and the united opposition is Bogdan Balasinovich – “a Jew, but that is still not the worst of all; the worst of all is that this young man thinks that Jews belong to the superior race, while Ukrainians and Russians are class Z citizens”. On the postcard it is noted that the author of the text is “a journalist” by the name of F. Vasilenko. The postcard was printed on a white shiny paper and it does not contain any details concerning printing house or other information concerning the printing of the leaflets.
The response of candidate B. Balasinovich’s staff to the postcard has not yet been received. B. Balasinovich’s chief rivals in the fight for constituents’ votes in this precinct are the independent candidate Leonid Kadenyuk - the first astronaut in independent Ukraine, and the candidate from the regions party, Artem Semeniuk - son of the head of the Chernovtsy regional state administration.
