8
April 15, 2022 • Schneps Media
End the brutality
Ukrainian women in Washington Square Park
protest rising war rapes in their country
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
Russia’s unprovoked invasion
of Ukraine began on Feb.
24. As of April 14, that’s
49 days of a war with seemingly
no end in sight and attempts at
negotiations fruitless.
Bombardment of civilian targets
and the destruction of cities
and towns has led to over four
and a half million people leaving
Ukraine, crossing borders into
neighboring countries. Thousands
of people are internally displaced.
Among the brutalities and
mounting numbers of authenticated
executions are also the documented
numbers of rapes perpetrated
by the Russian troops.
Human Rights Watch is among
the organizations documenting
rape and sexual violence during
this war. Increasingly, these
sexually violent crimes committed
by Russian soldiers are being
reported in major print, radio and
TV outlets.
LOCAL NEWS
Early Friday evening, over 100
Ukrainian women gathered in
Washington Square Park in a
powerful silent action. With some
wearing traditional flower crowns
and children among them, they
called attention to the rape and
sexual violence against Ukrainian
women by the Russian soldiers.
Their hands bound with red
ribbons, their mouths covered
with black tape indicated how
this violence against women has
been silenced.
Women held signs that accounted
the situation. One read: Ukrainian
girls cut their hair to be less
attractive and avoid getting raped
by Russian soldiers.
Another read: Gang rapes, assaults
taking place at gunpoint,
and rapes committed n front of
children are among testimonies
collected by investigators.
Some placards documented
the horror of these sexual
crimes: “All the time they had
the gun by my head and taunted
me, saying, ‘How do you think
she sucks it? Shall we kill her or
keep her alive?’”
Ukrainian activist Arthur Zgurov,
commented on the importance
of drawing attention to this
aspect of the war, “Women are
the least protected part of society.
When men come with weapons it’s
hard to protect, especially women
and children. Unfortunately, the
picture from Bucha gave us, the
world, this perspective of what’s
going on—going on all over the
occupied territories.” (Last week,
documented evidence there of
mass graves, executions and
rape testimonies.)
Anna Liashenko 30, from
Odessa, having arrived in the U.S.
eight years ago seeking asylum,
added additional background. She
reported how hundreds (who have
been raped) have been able to get
out of the country.
“The little girls and women
going through rapes—they’re
coming to Poland. In Poland, it’s
Over 100 women, in silence, held placards of testimonies and accounts
very strict, it’s almost impossible
to get an abortion. After everything
they’ve been through they’re
facing other difficulties after
being raped.”
Liashenko adds how children
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
witnessing the rape and murder of
their parents are traumatized, “It’s
terrible and it’s heartbreaking.”
“I am a very peaceful person
and never thought to hate somebody,
but now that has changed.”
Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin resigns after arrest on bribery charges
BY ETHAN STARK-MILLER
Lieutenant Governor Brian
Benjamin resigned his office
he held for about seven
months on April 12 after being
arrested on federal bribery
charges, Governor Kathy
Hochul announced.
“I have accepted Brian Benjamin’s
resignation effective immediately,”
Hochul said in a statement
announcing Benjamin’s
departure. “While the legal process
plays out, it is clear to both
of us that he cannot continue to
serve as Lieutenant Governor.
New Yorkers deserve absolute
confidence in their government,
and I will continue working every
day to deliver for them.”
Benjamin, who was Hochul’s
second in command, faced a federal
judge in a Manhattan courtroom
Tuesday following an indictment
from U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of New York
Damian Williams that charged
Benjamin with bribery. He was
arrested Tuesday morning after
surrendering himself to police.
The indictment alleges that,
during his time as a state Senator
representing Harlem, Benjamin
directed $50,000 in state funds
to a nonprofit organization controlled
by a real estate developer
Gerald Migdol, referred to in the
indictment as “CC-1.”
Migdol then allegedly donated
tens of thousands of dollars to
both Benjamin’s failed campaign
for city comptroller and his state
Senate reelection campaign, a
scheme that lasted from 2019
through 2021.
“This is a simple story of corruption,”
Williams said at a press
conference following the indictment.
“We allege that Benjamin
struck a corrupt bargain with a
real estate developer referred to in
the indictment as CC-1. Taxpayer
money for campaign contributions.
Quid pro quo. This for that.
That’s bribery, plain and simple.”
The indictment further alleges
that Benjamin repeatedly lied
in an attempt to cover up the alleged
bribery scheme – actions
that included falsifying campaign
forms, misleading city regulators
and lying on vetting forms he
filled out prior to being appointed
lieutenant governor.
The charges brought against
were the result of a collaborative
investigation between SDNY, the
FBI and the city’s Department of
Investigation. Michael Driscoll,
assistant director of New York’s
FBI field office, said while accepting
numerous small campaign donations
isn’t illegal, Benjamin took
things a step too far.
“It is, however, illegal to exploit
one’s official authority by allocating
state funds as part of a bribe
to procure these donations and to
engage in activity to then cover up
that bribe,” Driscoll said. “As alleged
Benjamin’s conduct directly
circumvents those procedures put
in place to keep our system fair.
And for those reasons, he’s facing
federal charges today.”
of brutality.
REUTERS/DIEU-NALIO CHERY
Brian Benjamin resigned as New York’s lieutenant governor on
April 12, 2022 after his arrest on federal bribery charges.