Back Schedule
| Time | LOCATION | Speaker | topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Kyiv | – Petro Yatsenko, Representative of the Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War; – Vsevolod Stebliuk, Head of the Military Medical Department of the National Guard of Ukraine; – Larysa Salaieva, NGO “Freedom to the Defenders of Mariupol”; – Svitlana Solonska, Voice of the Hero community; – Olena Belyachkova, Coordinator of the groups of families of prisoners and missing persons of the MIPL, lawyer; – Tetiana Shelest, Representative of the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. All in person. | Press conference: “russia’s Failure to Establish a Mixed Medical Commission and Violations of the Geneva Convention” Topics of focus: – A comprehensive review of specific Geneva Convention articles violated by the absence of a mixed medical commission; – Health and life implications for prisoners of war denied independent medical assessments; – Firsthand accounts and documented evidence of mistreatment in custody; – How lack of medical oversight and uncertainty deteriorate mental health among prisoners; – Long-term obstacles to rehabilitation and reintegration for former prisoners; – Urgent calls for international bodies (UN, Red Cross) to press for the creation of a russian medical commission; – Insights into possible motives behind russia’s resistance to establishing the commission; – How the absence of the commission complicates prisoner exchanges and peace efforts; – Potential solutions for addressing this issue on a global scale; – Implications for the aggressor nation’s standing on the world stage. Why is it interesting? In the summer 2023, Ukraine, adhering to the Third Geneva Convention, established a mixed medical commission—a body composed of two doctors from a neutral country alongside a representative from the detaining country. These commissions are tasked with evaluating the health of prisoners and arranging for severely ill or injured prisoners to receive care in a neutral nation or return to their home country. Despite being a Geneva Conventions signatory, russia has yet to form its own mixed medical commission. Establishing such commissions on both sides could expedite prisoner exchanges and enable critically ill and severely wounded detainees to return home more swiftly. russia’s failure to establish a mixed medical commission not only breaches the Geneva Convention but also underscores a disregard for the fundamental value of human life. |
| 1:00 PM | Kyiv | – Oksana Romaniuk, Director of the Institute of Mass Information; – Kateryna Diachuk, Head of the Freedom of Speech Monitoring Department at the Institute of Mass Information; – Natalka Bohuta, journalist and friend of Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist abducted by russia; – Yevheniia Kravchuk, Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy (online); – Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech (online). | Press conference: “Will russia Face Consequences for Violating Freedom of Speech in Ukraine?” Topics of focus: – The current state of journalist persecution: emerging trends and recent cases documented. Highlights from the IMI report; – Examination of russian war crimes targeting the media and journalists. The situation for media professionals held captive by russia; – Ukrainian government initiatives to protect media workers and secure the release of detained journalists; – Collaboration with international bodies and their responses: what’s lacking to achieve real progress. Why is it interesting? November 2 marks the annual International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, established by the United Nations in 2013. Since 2022, russia has committed some of the most severe violations against journalists in Ukraine. To date, 12 media professionals have been killed by russian forces while carrying out their duties, and 29 civilian journalists remain imprisoned under russian custody. These detained journalists are reportedly subjected to torture and face life-threatening conditions, violating international law and human rights. Registration form: https://forms.gle/xds4SDRGDeFPHnUA9 |
