Nearly 14 years after a peaceful LGBT+ rights protest was disrupted in Kyiv, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Ukraine violated activists’ rights.
On 22 October 2026, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ukraine had violated Article 11, protecting freedom of assembly, in the case of three applicants, and Article 5, protecting the right to liberty and security, in the case of two who were unlawfully detained.
The Coalition welcomes the ECHR decision in Shevchenko and Others v. Ukraine. It demonstrates that justice can still be served and reminds governments that they can be held accountable, even when proceedings take time. The ruling sets an important precedent for preventing similar violations and underscores the importance of our joint fight for the protection and equality of LGBT+ people.
Olena Shevchenko
Head of Insight Public Organisation
Our country has changed over these fourteen years.
We have fought for progress in how LGBT+ people are treated, and our community has been and remains at the forefront of these changes.This case is important to me personally. It is about justice and the proper recognition of the horrific events of 2010-2016: the numerous court bans on LGBT+ community events, violence by law enforcement officers, and repeated attacks and intimidation by radical groups.
I hope no LGBT+ activist will ever again have to go through court proceedings in which judges openly demonstrate contempt for them and their right to peaceful protest.
I hope we will no longer have to hear that LGBT+ people should be sent to a separate island or burned in basements, or that our peaceful rallies violate public morals and threaten national security.