Elena Zhemkova: “People in Russia who couldn’t stop this war bear this responsibility”

“People in Russia who couldn’t stop this war bear this responsibility. This is a huge tragedy for Ukraine, but this is also a huge tragedy for Russia,” said Elena Zhemkova, Co-Founder and Executive Director of 2004 Right Livelihood Laurate organisation Memorial.

Zhemkova visited our Geneva office in November after delivering the 2022 Kofi Annan Geneva Peace Address as part of the Geneva Peace Week.

We sat down with her to discuss the ongoing challenges faced by Memorial, the current human rights situation in Russia, and Memorial’s ability to collaborate with the Ukrainian human rights defenders despite the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Watch the full interview: