On 12 June, Tuesday, at 12:00, press conference of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Center for Civil Liberties and Let My People Go campaign “Hybrid hospitality: will all 5 thousand Ukrainians return from FIFA World Cup?” will be held at Glavcom press center (8/20 Shovkovychna St., Kyiv).

From 14 June to 14 July 2018, the final part of FIFA World Cup will take place in the Russian Federation. Despite the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to refrain from traveling to Russia, and the widespread violations of human rights in this state as well as a real risk to personal safety, many Ukrainians still wish to visit the cities where the games will be played.

The Russian Federation continues the persecution of Ukrainian citizens. Groundless arrests on trumped-up charges are being made in the United Forces Operation zone, in the occupied Crimea and Russia; people are being lured out from the country. It often happens regardless of the victims’ loyalties in Ukrainian-Russian relations.

During the event, there are plans to keep the public informed of potential and actual threats to the safety of Ukrainian citizens in Russia on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2018, of the human rights situation there, of the number of fabricated cases against the citizens of Ukraine and the effectiveness of their protection in Russian courts, as well as of instances of kidnappings.

In addition, people will be given contact details of government agencies and NGOs of Ukraine and Russia where they could turn to in case of danger.

Speakers:

Oleg Martynenko – Head of Analytics, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

Oleksandra Romantsova – Deputy Head of the Board, Center for Civil Liberties

Alya Shandra – Chief Editor, Euromaidan Press, participant of Let My People Go campaign

Tetyana Kovalchuk – Deputy Minister of the Interior of Ukraine

Contact: Maksym Petrov (UHHRU), 095 483 48 45