Press Release
Published on February 24, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – In response to the Russian government’s declaration of war on Ukraine, Human Rights First called for international solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
“We are appalled by the Russian government’s utterly unjustified military assault and by its attempt to overthrow Ukraine’s democratically-elected institutions,” Human Rights First President and CEO Mike Breen said.
“This tragic moment in Ukraine is part of a generational struggle that we all face, in the United States and around the world, to preserve democracy, freedom, and human rights.
“As elsewhere, we have the tools and the principles to respond to this outrage. The concerns and priorities of local voices must be lifted up. Violators of human rights and the laws of war must be held to account. People displaced by the conflict must be protected, and the right to flee in search of asylum respected. And those who have stifled democracy and looted their country’s resources must not be allowed to keep benefiting from their corruption.
“We express our solidarity with all those whose lives may be in danger, including the Ukrainians and Russians who continue the daily struggle to protect the dignity of every person against brutal acts of unaccountable power.”
