Armed aggression against Ukraine has been going on for more than 12 years, while around 20% of Ukraine’s territory remains under Russian occupation. Millions of Ukrainian citizens have left the temporarily occupied territories, while millions remain living under occupation, and some of them have never lived in territory controlled by Ukraine.
Does this mean that everyone who remains in the occupied territories poses a threat to Ukraine? Where is the line between necessary security measures and the arbitrary restriction of a person’s right to protection, documentation, and connection with their own country?
During the discussion, we will address the complex dilemmas of state policy:
whether it is possible to guarantee national security without losing people;
how to develop approaches to young people from occupied territories;
whether restrictions on access to documents and public positions for people leaving occupation can exist, and how justified they are;
how to maintain ties with residents of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.
We will also discuss recommendations from the human rights community regarding support for the evacuation of young people from occupied territories, proper documentation procedures, and the development of a long-term strategy toward citizens living there.
Speakers:
Serhii Savchenko, a native of Donetsk who maintained his pro-Ukrainian identity while living under occupation and was able to leave at the age of 17;
Aliona Luniova, Advocacy Director at the ZMINA Human Rights Center;
Olha Kuryshko, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea;
Oleksandra Dvoretska, Head of Policy at the Bring Kids Back UA initiative of the President of Ukraine;
a representative of the Security Service of Ukraine.
Moderator:
Viktoriia Yermolayeva, Editor-in-Chief of Hromadske Radio and co-founder of NGO Women in Media.
Organisers:
NGO Docudays and the Coalition of Organisations that, since 2014, have been working to protect the rights of people affected by the armed aggression against Ukraine, whose members include the ZMINA Human Rights Center, NGO Donbas SOS, NGO Crimea SOS, CF Right to Protection, CF East SOS, NGO GROUP OF INFLUENCE Civic Holding, CF Stabilization Support Services, the Crimean Human Rights Group, and NGO Understanding the Crisis.
