A/HRC/28/64/Add.1 seizure and intimidation. One priest was allegedly detained and beaten in March 2014 and a number of priests and parishioners have reportedly left for areas under Ukrainian control. Some Tatar representatives expressed concern, as members of the Muslim minority, over the extent to which their rights to freedom of religion, expression and assembly would be protected. According to UNHCR, some observant Muslims (mainly Tatar) and evangelical Christians mentioned fear of religious persecution as a reason for leaving the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. IX. Situation of the Roma 63. The Special Rapporteur was made aware of ongoing concerns with regard to the situation of Roma communities in Ukraine. She visited a Roma settlement and consulted widely with Roma representatives. Economic and social marginalization, as well as problems with registration and identity documents, were widely reported by Roma representatives. The Government’s Strategy on the Protection and Integration of Roma in Ukraine until 2020 as well as the National Action Plan on Roma Inclusion are welcomed and have been drafted with the participation of some Roma organizations. However Roma representatives expressed their concern over their lack of participation in the formulation and monitoring of the Strategy and stated that policies were often inadequately funded and poorly implemented in practice. 64. In the context of the tense political situation in March and April 2014, there have been reports of attacks on some Roma communities by armed perpetrators. Despite comments from some Roma that they had previously had good relations in the locality, such incidents were clearly causing anxiety in Roma communities. The European Roma Rights Centre stated that: “It is evident in the current ongoing political instability in Ukraine that some elements are attempting to target Roma, or to mark Roma as scapegoats”.28 In the current context of tension and with the reported presence of a number of far-right and extreme nationalist groups in different localities, threats and attacks against Roma communities must be taken extremely seriously, prevented and perpetrators prosecuted where any such acts take place. 65. On Friday 18 April 2014, there was an attack on a Roma settlement in the city of Slovyansk, which was largely under the control of pro-Russian illegally armed groups. According to residents, at about 10 p.m. a group of around 20 masked armed people burst into Roma houses, beat residents, including women and children, demanded gold and money and took possessions. The attackers were armed with automatic weapons and fired shots into some homes. On the same day, a Roma family house was reportedly set on fire in Cherkassy following tensions between Roma and non-Roma in the town.29 The Special Rapporteur also received unconfirmed information about alleged threats against Roma by separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk at the end of May, which had reportedly resulted in 60 Roma families leaving to seek refuge with families in Lviv and in the Russian Federation. Such incidents should be immediately investigated. 66. One Roma resident of Slovyansk is reported as stating: “They say they are going to evict the Roma from here. And we don’t sleep in our houses, because we are afraid someone will come.”30 On 29 April 2014, a Roma man was shot and seriously injured in Slovyansk while reportedly trying to defend his home from attackers. Roma representatives 28 29 30 See www.errc.org/article/joint-statement-on-violence-against-roma-in-ukraine/4278. Ibid. See www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/04/22/Ukrainian-Roma-attacked-androbbed/5231398172543/. 17