The European Court of Human Rights has found that Ukraine failed to effectively investigate a hate-motivated attack against LGBT+ activists Zoryan Kis and Tymur Levchuk, in a case brought by the couple after a violent assault in Kyiv in 2015.
In its judgment delivered on 9 April 2026 in Kis and Levchuk v. Ukraine, the Court held that Ukraine violated Articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The applicants had been attacked while carrying out a social experiment on tolerance. According to the case facts, they were insulted, pepper-sprayed and kicked. Despite video evidence and indicators of a hate motive, the domestic investigation remained ineffective for years.
The Court’s ruling underscores that states must do more than formally acknowledge the right to safety and dignity. They are required to carry out prompt, effective and meaningful investigations when violence may have been motivated by intolerance or bias.
The judgment comes after another significant legal development in Ukraine. In February 2026, the Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld a decision recognizing Kis and Levchuk as a de facto family, following earlier recognition by a Kyiv district court. The case had initially been triggered by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s refusal to acknowledge Levchuk as Kis’s family member.
