From Documenting War Crimes on Facebook to Receiving the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize
Fighting for freedom and human rights in Ukraine
On the morning of Oct. 7, Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian human rights lawyer, civil society leader, and the head of the USAID-supported Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, stood at the Warsaw railway station on her way home to Kyiv after attending a United Nations General Assembly session in New York, where she submitted an open letter to the UN Secretary General calling for a strong response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Then her phone rang.
In disbelief, her colleague told her about an upcoming announcement. The Center for Civil Liberties would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — the first time in history that a Ukrainian organization would receive the prestigious award for service to humanity.
“It’s a big honor for us to receive this prize and also for our partners,” said Oleksandra.
In addition to heading the Center, she is a member of the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine’s Advisory Board on Human Rights, and the author of numerous publications about the political persecution of activists in Ukraine. Oleksandra, who has also been named one of the 25 Most Influential Women of 2022 by the Financial Times, said the award “belongs to all the people of Ukraine who fight for freedom and democracy” and is a symbol of the fight “for your freedom and ours.”
A History of Fighting for Freedom and Human Rights
Over the past 15 years, the Center for Civil Liberties has devoted significant efforts to promoting human rights, democracy, and solidarity in Ukraine.
Founded in 2007 by democracy and human rights activists, the organization has played a prominent role defending victims of law enforcement abuse, advocating for legislative amendments to strengthen Ukraine’s democracy — often coming up against resistance from Ukraine’s government — and promoting public oversight of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. It has also advanced the rule of law — including international law — by advocating for Ukraine to become a member of the International Criminal Court.
Documenting War Crimes and Seeking Justice
In February 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea and parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the Center for Civil Liberties was among the first to mobilize efforts to document rights abuses and the disappearances of journalists, activists, and critics of the Kremlin.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 — and despite all of the fear and uncertainty that it caused — the Center threw all its efforts into documenting possible Russian crimes against Ukrainian civilians with the goals of bringing perpetrators to justice and fighting for a democratic Ukraine where the rights of all people are protected.
Since February, the Center has processed 881 requests for assistance from occupied communities in Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, and published nearly 600 informational materials on Facebook to raise awareness among Ukrainian and international audiences of the grave human rights violations perpetrated by the Russian army in Ukraine.
The Center has also restored the Euromaidan SOS initiative, which was originally launched by the Center during Ukraine’s 2013–2014 Euromaidan revolution, to provide legal assistance to protestors and monitor abuses committed by the security forces of former Russian-backed President Viktor Yanukovych. Today, the reinvigorated initiative is a major platform for advocacy and awareness raising, using civilian testimonies to inform the world of ongoing human rights violations perpetrated by Russia’s military during the Kremlin’s war of aggression.
The Euromaidan SOS initiative has also drawn on international mechanisms in the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, and the International Criminal Court to stop brutal human rights violations. So far, 71 cases at the national and international levels have been processed and submitted for consideration by volunteer lawyers of Euromaidan SOS.
The Center has also joined forces with dozens of other civil society organizations to establish the global Tribunal for Putin initiative. Unlike the Euromaidan SOS platform, which relies on a dedicated group of volunteers, this initiative utilizes professional human rights lawyers working across Ukraine to document possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. After only seven months in operation, Tribunal for Putin has documented more than 20,000 alleged crimes. Unfortunately, this is likely only a fraction of the actual crimes committed.
To document grave human rights violations, including war crimes, the Center for Civil Liberties is mobilizing volunteers by providing training to citizens without prior knowledge of international humanitarian law or field experience. In just three months, the organization trained nearly 200 individuals who have gone on to document possible incidents of Russia’s war crimes — including the shelling of residential buildings, schools, and kindergartens; attacks on hospitals and medical personnel; killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and rape; and other devastating crimes. Documentation that can later be used to prosecute war criminals.
Receiving The Nobel Peace Prize has further motivated the Center to expand its ambitious goals. The organization now seeks to document every possible war crime — including those in the smallest villages of Ukraine — and bring all perpetrators to justice.
“Mastering the art of adjusting to constant changes is crucial for the successful functioning of any organization during wartime,” said Oleksandra. While aware of the obstacles facing the Center, she and the rest of the team are undaunted in achieving their goals: “It is important to learn to be a real team, value each and everyone, do exactly what you do best, and believe in victory.”
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, USAID has helped more than 50 civil society organizations, including the Center for Civil Liberties, adapt their activities to respond to Ukraine’s wartime needs.
Receiving The Nobel Peace Prize has drawn attention not only to the Center, but to the critical role that civil society has played more generally. That includes mobilizing humanitarian supplies and assistance for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and others affected by the war, evacuating citizens from active combat areas, and crowdfunding supplies, like food and winter clothing, for Ukraine’s defenders.
The bravery, solidarity, and self-sacrifice the Ukrainian have displayed during the war has inspired the world and demonstrated that, contrary to Kremlin propaganda, Ukraine today is a cohesive civic nation.
The incredible response by the Ukrainian people also highlights the vital role that Ukrainian civil society, exemplified by organizations like the Center for Civic Liberties, plays in a modern democracy.
“In this war, we are fighting for [the] values of the free world. Ukrainian civil society needs support from ordinary people from other countries,” said Oleksandra. “Based on my experience, I know that ordinary people have much more power [than] they even expected to have. And massive mobilization of ordinary people in different countries can change this world for the better.”
About the Authors
Jessica Benton Cooney is the Senior Communications and Outreach Specialist in USAID’s Center for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance. Staffers with USAID’s Mission in Ukraine and Thomas Wilson, a program analyst in USAID’s Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation also contributed to this blog.
