10 December is the International Human Rights Day. On this occasion , Alina Pavlyuk, a lawyer at the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group, visited the studio of "Morning at Home". She spoke in detail about the organisation's activities, how it interacts with the state, helps victims and much more about human rights protection.
- Nowadays, in the context of the armed conflict in the country and its consequences, how relevant is the topic of human rights?
- This topic is relevant at the national level in our work with law enforcement agencies, MPs and lawmakers in general. We also do a lot of work at the international level - with different countries, at international platforms, at conferences in order to promote what is happening in Ukraine and to attract support for future justice processes.
- What is the main focus of your work?
- Human rights defence, analysis of the consequences of the armed conflict and justice issues related to the consequences of the armed conflict. We document the consequences of the armed conflict for the justice processes that exist now and for those that may exist in the future. We advocate for the creation of a separate justice mechanism to help our law enforcement system deal with these consequences. We represent the interests of victims not only at the national level, but also at the international level - we have cases in the European Court of Human Rights and communicate with the International Criminal Court.
First of all, we communicate through the victims - we represent their interests at the national level - in criminal proceedings, in national court proceedings. In addition, we have opportunities and platforms to cooperate with actors, the National Police, and the Prosecutor General's Office.
- Can the fact that Ukrainians are currently experiencing a blackout be considered a violation of human rights?
- This is due to the consequences of the war in general. In the context of the international law of war that applies to this situation, such actions are considered potential war crimes, which will always be associated with certain human rights violations. Now a very big challenge for Ukraine as a whole is how to achieve justice. The number of registered crimes increases by 500 every day.
- What is a special tribunal and how will it work in relation to Russia?
- We have seen such a mechanism in history after the Second World War: The Nuremberg trials, the Tokyo trials, the Yugoslavia tribunal. What kind of tribunal, court, or mechanism it will be is still an open question. Will it be an international body supported by the United Nations and established under its auspices? Or will it be a mixed body with both national and international experts? Or will it be only within the national system? A lot of processes, especially in the last two weeks, have been going on around this decision. The mechanism itself will consist of three parts: investigation, prosecution and the trial itself.
- How can a person contact you?
- We have a Facebook page where people can write to us. If our lawyers are unable to provide an answer, we also represent the coalition "Ukraine. Five in the Morning" coalition. This is a coalition of more than 30 human rights organisations that also work with war victims, so we can refer you to one of our colleagues.
09.12.2022
