Acts involving violence, threats, deception, or abuse of official position can lead to sentences of up to five years.
And in cases involving organised groups or serious consequences, offenders may face between five and eight years in prison. The law also allows courts to bar individuals from holding certain positions.
The legal definition of antisemitism, as well as the principle that such acts must carry responsibility, was established in the country in September 2021 through the signing of the foundational law “On Preventing and Combating Antisemitism in Ukraine”, though the framework stopped short of establishing criminal penalties.
People lay stones at the Babyn Yar memorial to mark the 83rd anniversary of the mass execution of civilians, mainly Jewish people by the Nazis during the World War II, in Kyiv, September 29, 2024 (Credit: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine’s relationship with antisemitism is historically complex. The country is home to centuries of Jewish life and culture, as well as sites of profound tragedy such as Babyn Yar, where tens of thousands of Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.
Today, Ukraine maintains an active Jewish community and hosts annual pilgrimages to Uman, which draws tens of thousands of Chasidic Jews from around the world for Rosh Hashanah.
The United Jewish Community of Ukraine, the umbrella organisation representing Jewish communities across the country, welcomed the ruling: “We express our gratitude to the author if the draft laws, Maksym Buzhansky, for his systematic work on the adoption of the legislative initiatives.”
The ADL (Anti-Defamation League) 100 Index, published in late 2022, showed fluctuating but not exceptionally high antisemitic attitudes in Ukraine compared to some Eastern European peers such as Poland or Hungary.
