In London, Minister Doughty and Ambassador Zaluzhnyi Hear Testimonies from Ukrainians Impacted by Russia’s War Crimes
In the United Kingdom’s capital, British MPs and members of the diplomatic community met with Ukrainians affected by Russian war crimes. The event, organized by the UK Embassy in Ukraine and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, featured speeches by Olha Reshetylova, head of the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR), alongside testimonies from two victims.
Entrepreneur Hryhorii Holovko shared his harrowing story of abduction by Russian forces from his workplace in the Kherson region, where he was tortured and held captive for six months, repeatedly pressured to admit to espionage. Oleksandra Stoliar also spoke about her daughter, Iryna Navalna, who was abducted in Mariupol on September 27, 2022, the day of the sham referendum. Iryna now faces trial on fabricated terrorism charges in the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don.
As of October 30, 2024, MIHR data indicates that Russia is unlawfully detaining at least 1,932 Ukrainian civilians, which is a violation strictly prohibited by the Geneva Conventions. The release of these individuals, and many more, has seen little progress. Olha Reshetylova emphasized the urgency of the issue:
“The international community has yet to grasp the full scale of this crisis. Witness testimony events like this, where diplomats can hear directly from survivors, are crucial. They highlight the ongoing plight of Ukrainians under Russian occupation. These events are an important reminder that, after eleven years of conflict, with thousands of civilians still unlawfully detained, the world has yet to establish a mechanism for their release.”
UK Minister attended the meeting for Europe Stephen Doughty, who stated that Russia must immediately end arbitrary detentions of Ukrainian civilians and release all those held in violation of international law. He further stressed that Russia must honor its international commitments to protect and humanely treat all prisoners of war.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, also addressed British parliamentarians, lords, and members of the London diplomatic community. In his remarks, he referenced Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who reportedly died while being transported to Moscow’s Lefortovo prison after over a year in Russian detention. He also cited a recent UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine report affirming that abducting and detaining civilians is both a systematic and intentional policy of the Russian Federation.
This event reflects a tradition initiated by the UK Embassy in Ukraine two years ago, bringing together diplomats and witnesses to share first-hand accounts of Russian war crimes in occupied areas in the Kyiv Ambassador’s residence. The initiative has since expanded to other European capitals, and MIHR has previously taken part in similar discussions in Brussels and The Hague.
