Laureates react to Russia’s war on Ukraine
Like you, we have been watching the events in Ukraine with horror. We condemn the brutal invasion in the strongest terms. Seeing the unthinkable unfold, we are once again reminded of the vastly different vision Right Livelihood Laureates have presented for a better future.
Just to name a few, The Committee of Soliders’ Mothers of Russia has campaigned tirelessly for the demilitarisation of their country. Memorial International has documented the horrors of the Soviet regime in Russia to ensure that those horrors were never repeated – only to find themselves silenced by the current government.
We will continue to amplify their voices!
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Don’t forget Russian civil society, activists plead at UN side event
Read the highlightsThe international community must continue to pay attention to and speak out against the crackdown on Russian civil society, whose protest against Russia’s war on Ukraine is being brutally silenced, civil society activists and a UN expert said during a side event of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council organised by Right Livelihood.
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Right Livelihood: The UN should scrutinise Russia for committing human rights violations against its citizens
Read moreThe United Nations should monitor human rights violations by Russia and suspend the country’s membership on the UN Human Rights Council, Right Livelihood said in a statement on March 22, noting the Russian government’s increasing repression against its own people and abroad.
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Representative of Russian soldiers’ mothers: Willing or not, they send everyone considered necessary
Read moreSoldiers from all over Russia are being sent against their will to fight in Ukraine, said Valentina Melnikova, who works with the Union of Committees of Soldiers’ Mothers of Russia. The mothers represented by the organisation are horrified by Russia’s actions in Ukraine, while also fearing for the lives of their children taken as soldiers.
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Vladimir Slivyak: There is a high risk of a Chernobyl-style nuclear accident in Ukraine
Read moreThe risk of a serious accident due to fighting around nuclear power plants in Ukraine is “high,” said Russian environmentalist and 2021 Laureate Vladimir Slivyak. He noted that environmental groups are very concerned about the safety of the 15 nuclear reactors operating in Ukraine.
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Svetlana Gannushkina: Ukrainians are defending peace and democracy throughout the world
Read more“Hold on, friends! Now you are defending not only your independence and your values, but also fighting for peace and democracy throughout the world,” Russian human rights defender Svetlana Gannushkina told the people of Ukraine. Gannushkina, who received the 2016 Right Livelihood Award, spoke out against her country’s tragic war on Ukraine.
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Vladimir Slivyak: Putin laid groundwork for Ukraine attack by eliminating civil society at home
Read moreRussian President Vladimir Putin has been silencing civil society and eliminating all opposition in Russia for years. It is now clear that his actions at home were a prelude to the invasion of Ukraine, Russian environmentalist and 2021 Laureate Vladimir Slivyak said.