Ukrainian Jews Upset Over Court Ruling

Ukrainian Jewish leaders said they would appeal a court decision that found a school teacher innocent of making anti-Semitic statements.

The court in Ukraine’s Kirovograd region acquitted Nikolay Yakimchuk, a public-school teacher, of hate crime charges.
Yakimchuk was charged with ethnic incitement after several students testified that he allegedly said during his lesson that “Jews are bad and impudent people,” that Jewish students are only “taking space in our school” and there should be “no place for them among people.” Yakimchuk denied any wrongdoing.

Emma Spektor, leader of the Kirovograd Jewish community, said the ruling came as a shock to the Jewish community.