No information on the treatment of lesbians in Ukraine could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, according to a 14 July 1997 article from the Ottawa Citizen,

In Russia and Ukraine, laws criminalizing homosexual sex have been lifted, and gays are no longer sent to gulags. But entrenched hatred of homosexuals endures, and police do little to protect them from violence or extortion by criminals.

A 4 June 1998 Associated Press (AP) report states that a lesbian woman was sentenced to death for killing three men who allegedly teased her on the basis of her sexual orientation. However, since Ukraine had adopted a moratorium on capital punishment, the sentence is likely not to be carried out.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Associated Press (AP). 4 June 1998. "Ukranian Women Kills Three After Taunts About her Sexual Orientation." (NEXIS)

The Ottawa Citizen. 14 July 1998. Final Edition. Jacquie Miller. "Safe Haven for Sexual refugees: Canada is a World Leader in Offering Asylum to Persecuted Gays, Writes Jacquie Miller." (NEXIS).