The searches are being carried out as part of the case on the “rehabilitation of Nazism”, the organization is charged with having in its lists of those oppressed during the Soviet era, the names of three persons who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II.

The International independent civil society platform CivilMPlus considers such actions illegal. They demonstrate the openly dictatorial nature of Vladimir Putin’s regime, which tries in vain to hide political persecution behind formal legal pretexts.

Memorial is one of the founders of the CivilMPlus platform.

In December 2021, a Russian court liquidated Memorial for violating the law on “foreign agents” and “justifying terrorism and extremism.” “Memorial International” investigated the crimes of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, sought the rehabilitation of the repressed and assistance to their families, while the “Memorial” Human Rights Center supported political prisoners in Russian prisons, including Ukrainians. Oleg Orlov, who is one of the founders of Memorial, was active in human rights work during the war in Chechnya.

In 2022, Memorial became one of the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2009, Orlov became a laureate of the Andrei Sakharov Prize of the European Parliament “For Freedom of Thought” (2009).

Inspired by the strength, resilience and courage of Ukrainian women, we asked Nika to write a letter to her last year self.

”

Hi Nika

Today is March 8, 2023, exactly one year since you left your hometown, your dear Sloviansk. A year that changed you so wildly that it’s hard for you to even imagine it at the moment. Now you are leaving home and your eyes are full of tears from confusion, from not understanding what to do next and where you will end up. You ended up in Ivano-Frankivsk, in the city you so dreamed of getting to know and did it a year before, and then you wanted to live there for 2-3 months. You always told yourself “Be afraid of your wishes” and here it came true. Frankivsk became your second home.

You’re scared right now, because you don’t know what will happen to your Sloviansk, you are scared for your parents. You are a bit scared for yourself, but in fact you can’t even imagine how bravely you’ve endured this year. A year on the road, because you had to look for a home several times. The station became your second home, because your family is scattered all over the country and now you are constantly going somewhere. Everything you ever wanted so much, the war forced you to make up for it in seven-mile steps.
This year strengthened you tremendously and proved 100 percent that you should rely only on yourself and your inner strength. No, you will not be alone, there have never been so many people around you, as before, who love you and are close to you. There were people who helped. There were opportunities that came around. Although, no, it was you who found them, despite everything that was happening around.

Yes, now you won’t be able to go out for coffee with your best friend, because there are a thousand kilometers between you. But you will be so proud of her, of how resilient and unbreakable she is, because she will become the mouthpiece and save the people who remained in your home region of Donetsk. And you will do everything to meet her at your favorite coffee shop, even in the midst of a war.

Unfortunately, your anxiety will return and you will have to deal with it again. But now you know for sure that you are very strong and won’t let it break you. Your eyes no longer show signs of confusion and fear, and to some they even seem happy, although you sometimes allow yourself to be filled with sadness and longing for home.

I have not often said that I am proud of you, but after this year I can finally say that you are my pride and I thank you for the time we’ve spent together in helping others, in work, in loving ourselves and the people around us, in mercy and honesty, and most importantly – in joining the fight for our victory. And now you are absolutely sure that it will come soon.

Nika

“

On 24 February in Utrecht we together with local organisation Vitaln’ya presented the exhibition at an event dedicated to the anniversary of the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Representatives of CivilMPlus Secretariat Yuliya Erner and “Drukarnia” Civil Society Centre” (Ukraine) Kapitalina Pasikova and Nika Perepelitsa visited the event to tell stories of Ukrainian civil society in times of war.

The day before, on 23 February, the exhibition was shown at the Trade Union house in Paris during a meeting organised by the French Branch of the RESU/ENSU (European Network in Solidarity with Ukraine). The French version of the exhibition was created by the organisation Ukraine CombArt with support of the Assemblee Europeenne Citoyens – AEC.

The exhibition consists of visual stories of real people who counter Russia’s aggression in their own way, by providing for those who fight, bringing humanitarian aid, taking care of the refugees, lobbying for more active support for Ukraine by the international community, working with the consequences of the war and post-war reconstruction of the country. The stories of heroes and heroines demonstrate the range of activities that people are involved in to play their part and help others.

With these stories, we want to motivate the international community to support Ukraine, and the societies of the countries of the world to be ready to sacrifice some of their personal comfort in order to help others.

The artist is Masha Vyshedska.

The exhibition was created with the support of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ukraine’s strong commitment to European integration was a key impetus for democratic changes and reforms in the country before 2014 and even more so after. 

Ukraine’s resistance against Russian military aggression is a struggle for independence and sovereignty. Ukrainian warriors are protecting not only their families and their state. Ukrainians are ready to risk and lose their lives for freedom and democracy. They are paying a high price for their European aspirations and they want to be a part of the European family along with other successful and prosperous democracies one day. 

The EU accession process for Ukraine and launch of the corresponding negotiations should start as soon as possible after Kyiv implements the European Commission’s recommendations and receives positive assessment of its reforms. The start of the negotiating process will greatly contribute to the resilience of Ukrainian society and its ability to resist Russian aggression. To achieve this, Ukraine needs strong and multifaceted support from its international partners. The situation in Ukraine should be a central focus for the EU and world authorities, civil society and media.

Military assistance

We are convinced that it is crucial to support Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression. The EU’s enduring commitment to military support for Ukraine and military assistance provided via the European Peace Facility (EPF) are incredibly helpful to Ukraine’s resistance. The EU decision to increase its overall funding by €2 billion in 2023 will help to save the lives of both the military and civilians in Ukraine. We are grateful for the decision to set up the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). Training 15,000 Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel will increase the strength of the Ukrainian resistance and help to enhance the capability of the AFU to conduct military operations effectively.

Financial support and sanctions

For Ukraine to be able to predictably plan its budget, a long-term program is required that indicates possible amounts and a schedule of financial support tranches that the EU can guarantee, commensurate with Ukraine’s needs. We appreciate the European Commission’s decision to allocate €18 billion of support in the form of loans to Ukraine for 2023. Stable, regular, and predictable financial assistance will help to cover a significant part of Ukraine’s short-term funding needs. We expect that this instrument will be accompanied by reforms inside Ukraine.

Sanctions against Russia are an essential element of international support for Ukraine and the world’s effort to limit the Kremlin’s capabilities to wage war and eventually to force it to stop the invasion. It is important to ensure that the sanctions are impossible to avoid. 

Nuclear and ecological security

Russia captured the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia NPP – and is using it to build up and manipulate the public’s fear of a nuclear catastrophe. We support the EU’s condemnation of the annexation of the NPP by Russia and believe that there is an urgent need for the world community to find ways to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, as well as other critical infrastructure facilities close to the frontline, like the dams of hydroelectric power plants and others. Damage to these objects can lead to large-scale ecological disasters. 

Sectoral reforms

The EU is significantly supporting Ukraine’s economy which has been hit hard by the Russian aggression. We expect the EU decision on trade liberalisation and the suspension of protective measures against Ukrainian goods to be extended until at least 2024. We expect progress in the introduction of the industrial visa-free regime between the EU and Ukraine and the conclusion of the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Goods (ACAA). The ACAA Agreement will provide that trade in goods in the sectors covered by it shall be conducted on the same terms as between the EU Member States. It will help to increase Ukrainian exports of high value-added goods not only to the European Union, but also to other countries. We expect Ukraine to join the EU’s free-roaming network. Once adopted, people traveling from Ukraine to the EU and EU travelers in Ukraine will be able to make phone calls, send text messages, or use mobile data without extra charges just like between EU member countries.

Reconstruction

The EU should play a leading role in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. This reconstruction should go hand in hand with EU integration. The success of restoration will depend on Ukraine’s ability to export to the EU market and modernise its economy in line with the EU regulatory and legal environment. Reconstruction and economic recovery will require massive aid which will only be spent effectively if reforms in Ukraine continue.

The reconstruction process should be implemented in close cooperation with local communities that have suffered due to the war. At least 50% of the restoration efforts should be carried out by local companies.. A transparent mechanism for monitoring reconstruction funds should be established. There should be no chance that Ukrainian oligarchs will be able to use the reconstruction process to increase their capital and influence. Local ownership and community participation are important sources of Ukraine’s resilience and are key to making the results of reconstruction, modernisation, and recovery sustainable.

We call for the reconstruction to be governed by a dedicated donor coordination mechanism with strong Ukrainian government and civil society participation. Civil society actors should be closely consulted when designing and implementing the reconstruction and recovery processes. Cooperation with civil society should form the core of a human-centric approach to resilience and recovery.

The frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank, sanctioned Russian individuals and companies should be seized and transferred directly to Ukraine to co-fund the reconstruction. To speed up the EU’s ability to seize and use frozen assets for aid and recovery, the European Commission needs to proceed promptly with proposals to make sanctions evasion a criminal offense in all member states of the EU.

Economic recovery and the successful governance of Ukraine during and after the war will only be possible if the government pursues economic reforms, de-oligarchisation, anti-corruption efforts, and the decentralisation of decision-making. We call on the Ukrainian government to commit to the implementation of necessary reforms despite the ongoing war.

The return of refugees from European countries to Ukraine will guarantee the workforce for the reconstruction, the restoration of the social fabric and the further peaceful development of the country. Programs encouraging the return of Ukrainian citizens back to Ukraine should be developed in close cooperation with civil society.

A separate element of the recovery process that has already started is the reintegration of the territories of Ukraine that were liberated from Russian occupation. There should be a strategy on how to reintegrate these areas and return the rule of law and order there.

Justice and accountability for war crimes

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a violation of international law and a violation of OSCE principles. We support the resolution of the European Parliament, in which it urges the EU, in close cooperation with Ukraine and the international community, to push for the creation of a special international tribunal to prosecute Russia’s political and military leadership and its allies. Finally, we also call on the European institutions to support efforts to document the war crimes committed. Together with ensuring the personal safety of Ukrainians, the restoration of justice is essential for sustainable peace and security in the whole Europe.

An International Monitoring Mission organised by the CivilMPlus member – Austausch e.V. together with “Vostok SOS” Charitable Foundation (Ukraine) and experts from Germany, France and the Czech Republic in December 2022 visited recently liberated areas of Kherson and Mykolaiv regions in Ukraine, as well as frontline communities of the Donetsk and Kharkiv Oblast.

Civil society representatives interviewed civilians in villages and cities that had been partially destroyed, and contaminated with land mines. They met those who survived the Russian occupation and collected information on the humanitarian needs of these parts of Ukraine.

Based on the visit, the experts of the Mission prepared a detailed report for decision makers and civil society stakeholders, that can be downloaded here. The findings of the mission, which was organised with the support of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have already been presented in Paris, Berlin, Leipzig and Prague.

Two of the messages that the Mission participants want to deliver is that Ukraine needs comprehensive support and solidarity from its international partners in order to effectively deal with and end the grave humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion. A better coordination of humanitarian efforts in frontline communities can help to improve the situation of civilians through this hard winter.

The head of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, Evgen Zaharov, noted that in the context of Ukraine, one can accurately speak of an attempted genocide, direct and public incitement to genocide, and committed genocide in some specific territories, in particular, in Mariupol, Bucha and other districts of the Kyiv region, however, it will be more difficult to substantiate and prove such a crime nationwide. The mass forcible removal of Ukrainian orphans by the Russian authorities to Russian territory may be an exception, since this crime already applies to the entire country.

Oleksandr Pavlichenko, head of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, added that in addition to the forcible removal of children, such crimes as torture and murders, which took place in February-March 2022 in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, have signs of genocide. The victims of these events were local residents who were targeted on the basis of their origin and language.

We would like to add here a view by a renowned historian of Eastern Europe, Timothy Snyder, which he presented his speech at the “International Law against Genocide” conference in Berlin in October 2022. Snyder noted that, by historical standards, there is very clear evidence of genocide in Russia’s actions.

He outlines the following signs of a deliberate intention to commit genocide that took place against Ukraine by the regime of Vladimir Putin:

• denial of the existence of the Ukrainian state
• denial of the existence of the Ukrainian people
• denial that Ukrainians are human
• denial of past acts of genocide
• adherence to the theory of replacement of races and peoples and statements that someone threatens Russia
• overloading the information space with rhetoric and actions designed to divert public attention from the crime of genocide.

The topic of genocide touches, among other things, on the moral aspect of the existing opportunity to prevent the irreparable, with which every representative of the international community inevitably confronts, and primarily those who make political decisions. Therefore, the issue of genocide is paramount in the context of the discussion about supporting Ukraine in resisting military aggression by Russia and about showing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Snyder speaks about the risk posed by the existence of a wealth of evidence of genocidal intent on the part of the Russian aggressor. Against the background of war crimes already committed in Ukraine in 2022, an outside observer may expect that even clearer, more obvious evidence is needed to make a decision on whether genocide took place in the context of the war against Ukraine, than the documented facts of violence in Bucha or the forcible removal of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation.

Evidence gathering and prove of the genocide case will require the combined efforts of both Ukrainian and international experts. The Ukrainian state and, in particular, Ukrainian non-governmental organizations such as Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Truth Hounds and Center for Civil Liberties that are actively working in the field of documenting war crimes and violations of international norms, need active support from international institutions, states and EU structures.

Impunity creates the prerequisites for the continuation of crimes.

We wish you strength and success in the important work that you are doing – each in his/her own field and in his/her place! 

In 2022, Ukrainians once again demonstrated great strength and readiness to defend their right to self-determination and freedom in the face of Russian aggression. Civil society is the key to stable democracy, and the war clearly demonstrated the ability of Ukrainian society to self-organize and readiness to take civic responsibility for the future of their country and the well-being of fellow citizens. 

The participation of Ukrainians in international projects in the field of human rights protection and the development of democratic institutions has developed many strong partnerships and deepened knowledge about Ukraine. Especially in recent years – after the Revolution of Dignity and the annexation of Crimea – Ukrainian civil activists have become an integral part of many international networks and project activities. Therefore, from the very first hours of the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the forces of civil society managed to mobilize support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people in the EU countries. 

This year, the CivilMPlus platform actively used various international platforms and tools to widen the international assistance to Ukraine at all levels – a large number of meetings, seminars, consultations, discussions and interviews were held. Platform participants from different countries met and shared information, discussed the needs and scenarios for the development of the situation, coordinated efforts to support Ukrainian colleagues and all civil activists – it was they who often took the responsibility of providing humanitarian and psychological assistance to the victims, document war crimes, communicate to the world about what was happening in Ukraine. 

In November 2022, CivilMPlus organized the 4th International Forum on European Ukraine in Berlin. More than 300 invited representatives of civil society and government officials from Ukraine and other European countries took part in the conference. The Forum discussed topics related to prosecution for war crimes in Ukraine, social challenges in the country and beyond caused by the war, and the upcoming restoration process in Ukraine.  

Platform members from Austausch e.V., in cooperation with the Ukrainian charitable foundation “Vostok SOS” and experts from different EU countries, conducted two monitoring missions in the liberated and frontline territories of Ukraine in May and December this year. Information about what happened and is happening in Ukraine during the Russian occupation and about the needs in the liberated territories is in demand by expert communities of different countries. 

We thank all colleagues from the Ukrainian organizations participating in CivilMPlus – Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Truth Hounds, Center for Civil Liberties, Country of Free People, Centre of Public Initiatives “Ideas for Change”, Luhansk Oblast Human Rights Center “Alternativa”, Caritas Ukraine, as well as all international participants of the platform, our partners and Ukraine’s friends in the EU and beyond for the great work, cooperation and mutual support in this difficult year. 

In 2023, CivilMPlus will continue its activities aimed at stabilizing, restoring and supporting social cohesion in Ukraine, as well as supporting efforts to document war crimes and restore justice in the context of the war against Ukraine. 

On behalf of all members of the platform, the CivilMPlus secretariat expresses its gratitude to the German Federal Foreign Office for financial support of the platform’s activities. 

Secretariat of the CivilMPlus Civil Society Platform

The international independent civil society platform CivilMPlus marks 5 years since its foundation.

Since its founding in December 2017, CivilMPlus has united more than 25 independent NGOs and experts from Ukraine, Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Russia and other European countries that share common values of democratic development, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The platform members have shown their univocal pro-Ukrainian position since the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014. Since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022, the CivilMPlus members, especially those based in Ukraine, have demonstrated supreme courage, engagement, and effectiveness in the face of the full-scale war. They support the civic and military resistance of Ukrainians, document war crimes, facilitate humanitarian aid, urge international partners for stronger political, military, humanitarian, and financial support to Ukraine as well as lobby for the country’s further integration into the European Union.

Our mission was and remains to empower civil society in its vital role in restoring peace, sovereignty and international law while advocating for human rights protection in Ukraine. 

We stand firmly in our position that international support of the Ukrainian resistance to the Russian aggression, post-war reconstruction and democratic development are the prerequisites for reaching sustainable peace, security, and prosperity in Europe.

Mayor of the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk (Donetsk region) Vadym Lyakh and a group of prominent Ukrainian civil society activists talked about the latest developments on the frontline in eastern Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied territories.

The Mayor of Sloviansk urged the German partners to significantly increase military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. He together with other experts stressed the complexity of the situation in eastern Ukraine, especially considering the upcoming heating season. The region will most likely be cut off from heating, electricity as well as medical and other services.

It is paramount to accumulate stronger support for Ukraine by the Western countries and ensure that the basic needs of those vulnerable groups that cannot evacuate from the territories close to the front are covered.