The Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, with the support of 37 other permanent missions, organized a parallel event in Geneva and Bern as part of the Human Rights Council. The event was dedicated to the horrifying treatment of Ukrainian military prisoners held in Russian captivity in various locations, both in the occupied territories of Ukraine and Russia.
During the event, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Eugenia Filipenko, called on the international community to continue supporting Ukraine and exert pressure on Russia due to the unacceptable conditions faced by military prisoners and violations of the Geneva Conventions by the aggressor country.
Members of the "Olenivka Family Community" emotionally shared difficult-to-comprehend stories about how their relatives perished due to Russian terrorist attacks in Olenivka, where one of the most horrific camps created by Russia on Ukrainian territory is located.
Ukrainian servicemen spoke about the ruthless treatment and torture they endured while in Russian prisons, which has become a widespread phenomenon.
A representative of the Ukrainian Coordination Hub on Prisoner Issues emphasized the importance of international pressure on Russia to ensure compliance with the Geneva Conventions and basic humanitarian law norms.
Ukrainian Forum in Parliament, Bern
At the Ukrainian Forum, organized once again by the Ukrainian Society in Switzerland, many representatives from Ukraine delivered speeches. As previously mentioned, the pressing issue of Ukrainian prisoners of war was raised, along with many other important matters. This included discussions about the negative consequences of Russian aggression for neighboring states and distant regions, such as African countries, the Middle East, and the Global South.
"This is why it's not just a 'Ukrainian conflict' or a 'Russian-Ukrainian' war. It is Russia's war in Ukraine and against Ukraine, simultaneously fought on various fronts and in different parts of the world. The destabilization of African countries through Wagner mercenaries, Russian interference in Syria, and later the invasion of Ukraine have already triggered a global food security crisis, serious economic problems, inflation, and humanitarian crises with millions of refugees across Europe."
Eugenia Haber - Deputy Director of the Gennady Udovenko Diplomatic Academy
There was also discussion about the importance of timely and sufficient arms supplies to Ukraine as a guarantee of global security. The issue of Switzerland's neutrality in this matter was raised. The forum emphasized once again that extraordinary times require extraordinary decisions.
"Ukraine has demonstrated creativity and innovation in countering Russian aggression. We hope that Switzerland will show creativity in finding ways to help Ukraine win this war," noted Ukrainian representatives.
The information war waged by Russia was also addressed.
"I had the honor of representing Ukraine from various perspectives – as a battleground country for disinformation issues, as Russia tested all possible techniques on us, as a society that, at a high cost, gained immunity to Russian propaganda and developed its own resilience, driven by the emergence of Ukrainian cultural institutions and the gradual Ukrainization of the information space; and since the war, as a country that is fighting and needs solidarity like never before."
Natalia Popovych, B4Ukraine, Coalition of 80 civil organizations.
It was also noted at the Ukrainian Forum that Switzerland leads among countries whose companies continue to operate in Russia, ranking third.
"According to the Kyiv School of Economics, only 9 Swiss companies have ceased business operations in Russia, while 81 companies remain. Swiss companies contributed over $275 million in profit tax to the Russian treasury in 2022," - Natalia Popovych mentioned in her Facebook post.
Natalia emphasized the importance of all leading nations in the world, realizing that cooperation with an aggressor indirectly contributes to the strengthening of aggression on various levels, with all the apparent consequences for Ukraine and the world.
The Ukrainian Forum in Parliament was initiated to foster Ukrainian-Swiss relations at various levels, address critical issues, and find solutions that can aid Ukraine in achieving victory and, more effectively, rebuilding and integrating into the European community after the war.
photo by Olenivka Family Community
