Man who desecrated Kyiv’s Hanukkah menorah faces possible five-year prison term

Police in Kyiv have arrested a man who desecrated a monument erected on the capital’s Independence Square to commemorate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine (UJCU) said on Telegram on Dec. 19.

In a video posted by the UJCU, the man refers to the menorah as “rakes.” He then approaches it and allegedly urinates next to it, making inflammatory remarks.

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“Our land is Ukrainian land, Cossack land, and not for some Jews to settle it,” the man says.

“Why are our boys dying? So that our land is settled by Jews?”

The Kyiv police reported that on Dec. 19 they came across the video while monitoring social media. The identity of the man was established, revealing him to be a resident of Kyiv Oblast born in 1988. He was subsequently arrested.

Law enforcement officers initiated a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, addressing the violation of equality among citizens based on race, nationality, religious beliefs, disability, and other grounds.

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The man may face a fine ranging from 200 to 500 non-taxable minimum wages, or up to five years of restricted freedom, along with the potential deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in specific activities for up to three years.

The Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. This holiday is one of the most significant in the Jewish tradition and is celebrated by Jews worldwide. This year, Hanukkah extended from the evening of Dec. 7 to the evening of Dec. 15.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine