Oleksandra Matviichuk
Олександра Матвійчук
Matviychuk in 2022
Born (1983-10-08) October 8, 1983
Boyarka, Kyiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
EducationKyiv University (LLM)
Occupation(s)Lawyer, human rights activist

Oleksandra Viacheslavivna Matviichuk (Ukrainian: Олександра В’ячеславівна Матвійчук; born 8 October 1983) is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and civil society leader based in Kyiv. She heads the non-profit organization Centre for Civil Liberties and is a campaigner for democratic reforms in her country and the OSCE region.[1] Since October 2022, she has been Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

Education

Oleksandra Matviichuk attended Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, graduating in 2007 when she was conferred a LL.M. In 2017, she became the first woman to participate in the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program of Stanford University.[2][3]

Career

Matviichuk started working for the non-profit organization Centre for Civil Liberties in 2007, when it was established.[4]

In 2012 Matviichuk became a member of the Advisory Council under the Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine's national parliament (the Verkhovna Rada).[5][6]

After the violent crackdown of peaceful demonstrations on Independence Square in Kyiv on 30 November 2013, she coordinated the Euromaidan SOS civic initiative. The purpose of Euromaidan SOS was to provide legal assistance to the victims of Euromaidan in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, as well as to collect and analyze information to protect protesters and provide interim assessments of the situation.[7] Matviichuk has since then run multiple international mobilization campaigns for the release of prisoners of conscience such as the #letmypeoplego campaign and the #SaveOlegSentsov global action for the release of illegally imprisoned people in Russia and the occupied Crimea and Donbas.[8] She is the author of a number of reports to various UN bodies, Council of Europe, European Union, OSCE and several submissions to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.[9][3]

On 4 June 2021, Matviichuk was nominated to the United Nations Committee against Torture[10] and made history as Ukraine's first female candidate to the UN treaty body.[11] She ran on a platform to limit violence against women in conflict.

Between the Revolution of Dignity and 2022, she focused on documentation of war crimes during the war in Donbas. Meeting then Vice President of the United States Joe Biden in 2014, she advocated for more weapons support to help end the war.[12]

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Matviichuk has appeared on a number of international media to represent Ukrainian civil society, particularly in relation to issues that relate to internal displaced people and on the issue of war crimes, as well as other human rights issues. According to Foreign Policy, she advocated the creation of a special 'hybrid court' to investigate war crime issues and human rights violations due to the large number of issues.[13] Matviichuk called for Vladimir Putin and Russian soldiers to be tried in a special tribunal for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stating that it could have a cooling effect on the "brutality of human rights violations that Russian troops are committing".[14]

Awards and honours

In 2007, Oleksandra Matviichuk was awarded the Vasyl Stus Prize for 'outstanding achievements in this field, clear civic position, and active presence in the Ukrainian cultural space'. She is the youngest winner in the history of the award.[15]

In 2015, Matviichuk became a laureate of the Norwegian 'Lindebrække prize for democracy and human rights'. Chairman of the jury and former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Norway, Jan Petersen motivated their selection: 'It is important to support and honour those who took part in Ukraine's democracy movement. Those who worked day and night, speaking up for a democratic development in Ukraine – and later investigating the crimes that took place at Maidan. This year's recipient of Sjur Lindebrække Prize for Human Rights of Democracy is such a voice.'[16] On 24 February 2016, 16 delegations to the OSCE recognized Matviychuk with their first Democracy Defender Award for 'Exclusive contribution to promoting democracy and human rights'.[17] The U.S. Embassy to Ukraine then recognized Matviichuk as Ukraine's Woman of Courage 2017 for 'her constant and courageous dedication in defending rights of Ukrainian people'.[18] In September 2022, Matviichuk and the Centre for Civil Liberties (the organisation headed by Matviichuk) were among the laureates of the Right Livelihood Award for their work with Ukrainian democratic institutions and pursuing accountability for war crimes.[19] She was honored as one of the BBC 100 Women in December 2022.[20]

The Centre for Civil Liberties was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with Ales Bialiatski and Russian organization Memorial.[21] This was the first Nobel Prize awarded to a Ukrainian citizen or organization.[22]

She was awarded a doctor honoris causa from Université catholique de Louvain on 16 February 2023.[23][24]

Summary

Major publications in English

"The Fear Peninsula: Chronicles of Occupation and Violation of Human Rights in Crimea"[28]

"The Price of Freedom" - Summary of the public report of human rights organizations on crimes against humanity committed during the period of Euromaidan[29]

"28 Kremlin Hostages" - Main violations and prospects for release[30]

References

  1. ↑ "Oleksandra Matviychuk – Ukraine". Coalition for the International Criminal Court. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Cohort 2017-18". fsi.stanford.edu. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Oleksandra Matviichuk | CivilMPlus" (in French). 27 April 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Todorov, Svetoslav (14 February 2022). "Meet Oleksandra Matviichuk from Ukraine". Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "Про створення консультативної ради". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Women Pursue a Democratic Future for Ukraine". National Endowment for Democracy. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Євромайдан SOS". maidanmuseum.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Oleksandra Matviichuk". religiousfreedom.in.ua. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Oleksandra Matviichuk". Skopje Youth Summit. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  10. 1 2 "18th Meeting of States parties - Elections 2021". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Оголошення про результати добору кандидата для висунення на обрання членом комітету ООН проти катувань". minjust.gov.ua (in Russian). 4 June 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "Activist who met Biden in 2014 says 'Putin war crimes could have been stopped'". The Independent. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  13. ↑ Mackinnon, Robbie Gramer, Amy. "Ukraine's 'Nuremberg Moment' Amid Flood of Alleged Russian War Crimes". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 13 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Rankin, Jennifer (27 February 2023). "Ukrainian Nobel peace laureate calls for special tribunal to try Putin". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Премія імені Василя Стуса". PEN Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "Awarded for human rights efforts in Ukraine". Human Rights House Foundation. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Ukrainian Activist Oleksandra Matviychuk Receives Democracy Defender Award". U.S. Mission to the OSCE. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  18. 1 2 "Remarks by Ambassador Yovanovitch at the "Honoring Ukrainian Women of Courage" Event". U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "Ukrainian activist among winners of 'Alternative Nobel'". AP NEWS. Associated Press. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  20. ↑ "BBC 100 Women 2022: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  21. ↑ "Nobel Peace Prize to activists from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine". Onmanorama. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  22. ↑ Ryan, Missy; Khudov, Kostiantyn (12 October 2022). "Ukrainian Nobel laureate demands new approach for wartime justice". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023.
  23. ↑ Rankin, Jennifer (27 February 2023). "Ukrainian Nobel peace laureate calls for special tribunal to try Putin". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023.
  24. ↑ de Boeck, Philip (17 February 2023). "Oleksandra Matviichuk (prix Nobel de la paix 2022): «Si on n'arrête pas Poutine en Ukraine, il ira plus loin»" [Oleksandra Matviichuk (Nobel Peace Prize 2022): "If we don't stop Putin in Ukraine, he will go further"]. Le Soir (in French). Archived from the original on 9 May 2023.
  25. 1 2 "Citizens need to hold power to account because 'even an angel can turn into the devil' — EUAM Ukraine". 2 July 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  26. ↑ "Ukrainian Wins Democracy Defender Award". VOA. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Awarded for human rights efforts in Ukraine". 24 April 2015.
  28. ↑ Zayets, Sergiy; Matviichuk, Oleksandra; Pechonchyk, Tetyana; Svyrydova, Dariya; Skrypnyk, Olga (20 April 2015). The Fear Peninsula: Chronicle of Occupation and Violation of Human Rights in Crimea. Crimea is Ukraine.
  29. ↑ "Summary of the public report of human rights organizations on crimes committed during Euromaidan". Issuu. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  30. ↑ "'28 hostages of the Kremlin': main violations and prospects for the release". Open Dialogue Foundation. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
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