Press conference, Paris, June 13, 2024

In Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the mass rapes perpetrated by Russian soldiers demonstrate a desire to destroy Ukrainian society. These rapes, which began as early as 2014, number in the thousands, primarily affecting women, but also children and men, both civilians and military personnel, who remain detained in Russian prisons.

These crimes against humanity are, however, so far the least covered-up of the Russian war against Ukraine.

The press conference will cover the following points:

• The scale and severity of the rapes and torture committed by Russian soldiers from 2014 to the present day. The use of rape and sexual torture in Russian prisons where more than 3,000 Ukrainian men and women are currently being held.

  
  

• The widespread use of these sexual crimes is part of a deliberate strategy. Their sheer number indicates that they could not have been committed without the approval, if not the encouragement, of the military hierarchy, all the way to the top of the Russian state. Just like the large-scale deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, these mass rapes demonstrate the Russian authorities' deliberate intent to destroy the Ukrainian people.

  
  

• The difficulties in documenting the facts are linked to obstacles in collecting testimonies, which stem from the reluctance of victims to file complaints and the lack of training of Ukrainian police and justice services.

  
  

• The jurisdictions that would be able to take up these crimes (Ukrainian or European courts, ICC?).

The speakers:

The four members of the NGO SEMA Ukraine present at the conference were all detained by the Russian army at various times between 2014 and 2023; they are survivors of torture and sexual violence. They provide assistance to other survivors.

- Iryna Dovgan , founder and president of the NGO SEMA Ukraine

- Lyudmyla Huseynova , member of SEMA Ukraine, journalist (online from Kyiv)

- Olena Apchel , member of SEMA Ukraine, director (online from Kyiv)

- Alisa Kovalenko , member of SEMA Ukraine, documentary filmmaker

- Oleksandra Matviichuk , human rights lawyer, President of the Center for Civil Liberties of Ukraine, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate (online from Kyiv).

- Florence Hartman , journalist and essayist. Spokesperson and political advisor to the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda (2000-2006)

Conference presented by Sylvie Rollet, President of the association For Ukraine, for their freedom and the

OUR !

Testimonies - Difficulties in documenting - Prospects for justice