“Hope is the understanding that all our efforts have meaning,” — Oleksandra Matviichuk, during her visit to the Council of Europe

On 20 June 2025, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, paid an official visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

During her meetings with Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjorn Berge, President of PACE Theodoros Roussoupoulos and Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty, Ms Matviychuk emphasised the human dimension of Russia’s war against Ukraine and called for the protection of the rights of those who have suffered from the aggression since 2014. These people have not yet been covered by the Register of Damages, which is accepting applications for the period starting from the full-scale invasion in 2022.

At the briefing for Member States, this time organised by the Permanent Representation of Poland, Oleksandra thanked the participants for their support for Ukraine. She also shared the stories of Ukrainians who had approached her with their personal stories. The stories of Ukrainians who have suffered from the crimes committed by Russia and its army sent a clear message to continue this support and bring all those responsible to justice.

During the public discussion held in the evening at the Strasbourg Exhibition Centre, organised in cooperation with the European Movement Alsace and Promo Ukraine, Ms Matviichuk spoke about the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights and stressed the shared responsibility of Europeans for freedom and democracy.

Oleksandra Matviichuk concluded her speech with a definition of hope: “Hope is not a belief that everything will be fine. Rather, it is a deep understanding that all our efforts are worthwhile”. Ms Matviichuk’s visit was co-organised by CURE — the Campaign for Human Rights in Europe.