On 17 November, on the sidelines of the Third International Conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South”, a working meeting was held between a delegation of journalists from Nigeria, the Republic of South Africa, and Egypt and Ukrainian human rights defenders.

The meeting was attended by Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko, her Deputy Denys Chystikov, Ukraine’s Military Ombudsperson Olha Reshetilova, journalist and former Russian hostage Dmytro Khilyuk, and Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov.

The discussion was moderated by Maria Tomak, co-organizer of Crimea Global.

In her remarks, Olga Kuryshko emphasized the importance of supporting the Ukrainian state on the international stage, particularly in protecting the rights of people affected by Russian aggression. She stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and African countries, noting that only by joining efforts can stability and justice be achieved for all those affected.

Olha Reshetilova underscored the importance of protecting service members’ rights. She noted that Ukrainian soldiers are required to carry out extremely challenging tasks every day and often risk their lives; therefore, they must be provided with proper training, equipment, and support from both society and the international community. At the same time, she stressed that Ukraine needs support not only from its European partners but also from African countries in resisting authoritarian regimes that violate international law.

Dmytro Khilyuk spoke about his experience communicating with Ukrainian prisoners of war, noting that Russian propaganda has no influence even on those held in Russian captivity. He highlighted the importance of each of these individuals remaining committed to their principles and resisting manipulation and psychological pressure from the occupiers.

Refat Chubarov spoke about the consequences of the Russian occupation for the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages in Crimea, particularly the destruction of these languages in the peninsula’s educational system. He drew attention to how Russia persecutes Crimean Tatars on fabricated charges, including terrorism and alleged affiliation with religious organizations banned in Russia. He emphasized that the occupiers also actively monitor phone calls, emails, and even mosques, using this surveillance to persecute people under the guise of “public security.”

The issues raised by the African delegation concerned the preservation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the prospects and conditions for possible peace negotiations, and the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories.

We thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for organizing the journalists’ visit to Ukraine and for their participation in the conference.