Ostroh Academy Listened to a Lecture by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk

May 13, 2024

On May 13, in the framework of the “Science Days”, a public lecture was conducted at Ostroh Academy National University by a Ukrainian lawyer and human rights defender, winner of the Vasyl Stus Prize and Democracy Defender Award, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, and the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Oleksandra Matviichuk.

"I am sincerely delighted that we have prepared such a powerful, significant event for the 30th anniversary of Ostroh Academy. Today, we open the science festival with a lecture by a legendary 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Oleksandra Matviichuk. We are proud that we greet such extraordinary personalities at Ostroh Academy,"

The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Doctor of Philosophy, and the NaUOA Professor, Dmytro Shevchuk, moderated the meeting.

During her lecture, Oleksandra Matviichuk focused on human rights in war conditions. In particular, the speaker talked about the Center for Civil Liberties and its activities, the operation of international law (human rights and international humanitarian law), problems the human rights organisations face, documentation of war crimes, methods of warfare, etc.

"I have been involved in human rights protection at the Center for Civil Liberties since its foundation in 2007. In February 2014, we faced the war. Our association became the first human rights organisation to send mobile groups to work in Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk Oblasts. At the time, we had no idea that the war had started, but in February 2014, we began documenting the war crimes. Our main speciality was cases of kidnapping, torture, detention, rape and murder of civilians in the occupied territories, as well as illegal political persecution by russia. With the beginning of a full-scale invasion in 2022, we joined forces with several organisations, mainly from the regions, built a nationwide network of documenters and now have an ambitious goal - to document the smallest criminal episode that the Russians committed in the villages of every region of Ukraine,"

A question-and-answer format discussion was also held during the event. The participants talked about individual and collective responsibility, the rights of prisoners of war, punishment for war crimes, observance of human rights in war conditions, human rights activities in Ukraine after the end of the war, etc.

"Thank you very much for the invitation to this important event. It is a great honour for me to be here with you and have the opportunity to speak at the "Science Days" opening. I have already been to Ostroh Academy. Still, I want to revisit the university in the future."

Anton Zozulia, a 1st-year student of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Social and Humanitarian Management, shared his impressions of the meeting:

"During today's meeting with human rights activist Oleksandra Matviichuk, students had the opportunity to learn more about the importance of documenting russian crimes against Ukraine during the war. Ms Oleksandra also talked about her life's struggle for justice. She cheerfully answered the questions about human rights activities that were of interest to the students and the teaching staff of Ostroh Academy."