“Echoes of Tragedy: Civilian and Child Testimonies on the Russia’s War Against Ukraine”

INVITATION to the Parliamentary Event “Echoes of Tragedy: Civilian and Child Testimonies on the Russia’s War Against Ukraine”

Date and time: 29 April 2024, 2PM – 4PM

Location: The Constitution Hall, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

On behalf of the Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Ms. Viktorija Čmilytė Nielsen, OPORA, International Center for Ukrainian Victory and Ukreate Hub, we would like to invite you to an in person event to discuss the possible avenues of legal and political accountability for the war crimes committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

This event seeks to shed light on the devastating impact of the war, particularly focusing on the personal experiences of civilians and children. The topics to be raised include a sensitive issue of children amidst the war, migration patterns and impacts they have on future generations, and other insights into the genocidal nature of the war. The event aims to bring together a diverse group of speakers, including children survivors, and witnesses of war crimes, who will share first-hand testimonies and memories about their experience of occupation and deportation. Members of the Lithuanian Parliament, government and law enforcement bodies officials, diplomatic representatives, and human rights activists are warmly invited to participate.

Organizers: the Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Ukreate Hub (Lithuania), OPORA (Ukraine/Poland), ‘Voices of Children’ Foundation (Ukraine), and International Center for Ukrainian Victory (Ukraine/Poland).

Tentative agenda of the event:

14:00 – 14:05	Opening remarks from the Moderator, Mrs. Kateryna Ryabiko, OPORA’s Strategic Advisor
14:05 – 14:25	Opening Remarks by the Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Mrs. Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen and Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Mrs. Olena Kondratiuk (online)
14:25 – 14:40	Screening of the short documentary “What Have We Lost”
14:40 – 14:55	Testimonies from Valeriya, a teenager from Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region, affected by the war, and discussion on possible avenues of legal and political accountability for deportation and abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation (Ms. Olga Tymchenko, “Voices of Children” Foundation)
14:55 – 15:10	Analysis on the genocidal dimension of the war and importance of war crimes documenting for further trials (Mrs. Olga Aivazovska, “OPORA” Foundation, ICUV)
15:10 – 15:40	Panel Discussion with Q&A Session
15:40 – 15:50	Closing Remarks and Future Steps

The event will be in Lithuanian / Ukrainian with simultaneous translation available. The event will also be streamed through the Youtube channel of Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.

 

Due to limited spaces please RSVP your attendance by filling this short form by 25th of April, 2024  – https://forms.gle/5jG6UnBQJDLK1Brg8.

About organizers:

• OPORA

Civil Network OPORA is a network that has unique expertise at local, national and international levels. We are human rights defenders that monitor the observance of electoral and political rights of citizens. In September 2022, OPORA opened the Center for Assisting in War Crimes Documentation. It is a safe space in Warsaw where every person from Ukraine who eye-witnessed or fell victim to crimes committed by Russians can make their contribution to holding the perpetrators accountable. Professional lawyers fill out the stories in the testimony format and forward it to prosecutors to be considered in national and international courts. To do this efficiently, OPORA cooperates with the Office of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine and the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Poland, prosecutors of the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA). The work does not end with the collection of testimonies but continues to monitor the appropriate investigative bodies, and to advocate internationally for the inescapable punishment.

• International Center for Ukrainian Victory

International Center for Ukrainian Victory is a public diplomacy platform for victory founded in Warsaw by Ukrainian civil society activists to encourage opinion leaders around the world to support Ukraine. The Center’s objective is to mobilize the world for Ukrainian victory. Its experts deal with the following areas: weapons supply to Ukraine, special tribunal establishment and punishing Russia for war crimes; combating nuclear terrorism and preserving Ukraine’s energy system; seizure of Russian assets; strengthening sanctions against Russia; and acceleration of the European integration of Ukraine.

• The ‘Voices of Children’ Foundation

The Voices of Children Foundation has been helping children affected by the war since 2015. They provide psychological and psychosocial support to children. It helps them overcome the consequences of armed conflict and develop. Today, during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, they are providing non-stop assistance to affected children and families from all over the country, providing emergency psychological assistance, and assisting in the evacuation process.

• The Ukreate Hub

The Ukreate Hub, created under the auspices of Open Lithuania Foundation, is a competence center dedicated to displaced Ukrainians in Lithuania. The core objective of the Hub is to equip Ukrainians with the required knowledge, skills, networks, and tools to realize their full potential for the future of Ukraine. The mission of Ukreate Hub embodies a steadfast belief in the power of civil society, aiming to fortify resilience and foster sustainable civic engagement among Ukrainian individuals, empowering them to actively contribute to the recovery of a democratic and sovereign Ukraine.