Justice without borders: the ZMINA and TDC advocacy trip to Chile
During the advocacy trip to South America, representatives of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA and the Transatlantic Dialogue Centre (TDC) visited Chile. Tetiana Zhukova from ZMINA and Oleksandr Slyvchuk and Alina Rohach from TDC discussed the situation of human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and ways to achieve a lasting peace. In particular, they discussed persecution, enforced disappearances, torture and the need to return illegally detained persons, as well as the importance of justice and preserving the remembrance of the victims.
Photo: Event at the University for Development, ChileChile, as a country with a deep experience in the fight for human rights after the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, demonstrates support for international law and human rights. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Chile has supported UN General Assembly resolutions condemning the aggression and violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Chile had its own experience of human rights violations during the military dictatorship of 1973-1990. During this period, more than 3,200 people were killed or went missing, and tens of thousands were tortured and persecuted. This experience has shaped a deep understanding of the importance of justice and the memory of victims.
Photo: Museum of Memory and Human Rights for the Crimes of the Military Dictatorship in ChileUkrainian activists met with the International Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile. Tetiana Zhukova shared documented information about the realities of life in the occupied territories, the systematic practice of persecuting active residents and opinion leaders under occupation, thousands of unjustifiably imprisoned civilians, and tens of thousands of deported children.
ZMINA’s International Advocacy Manager spoke about the tragedy in Kryvyi Rih that occurred just before the meeting with Chilean MPs, when a Russian missile killed 21 civilians, including 9 children. “More than 600 children have been killed because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – this is the count since 2022 alone. The Russian Federation targets civilian objects, kills people, and does not shy away from killing children. These are all international crimes, the number of which is already more than 161,000”, Zhukova said.
Ukrainian activists called for condemnation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and violations of international law. In response, Chilean MPs adopted a declaration condemning Russia’s numerous human rights violations and calling on the international community to put pressure on Russia to help war victims find justice, ensure that children return home, and bring the war against Ukraine to an end.
Photo: Speech at the International Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of ChileIn addition, ZMINA and TDC met with the Head of the Human Rights Department, Thomas Pascal, and the Head of the Europe Department, Guillermo Bittelman Adriasola, at the Ministry of International Affairs. The participants of the discussion shared their views on the current situation in Ukraine, human rights violations due to Russian aggression, as well as Chile’s foreign policy.
Zhukova, Slyvchuk and Rohach also delivered lectures at Diego Portales University and the University for Development, held meetings at the Diplomatic Academy, the National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies, Athena Lab and gave interviews to local media.
Photo: Meeting with representatives of Athena LabA particularly valuable meeting took place at Chile’s Ministry of Justice with the team responsible for the National Plan for the Search for Truth and Justice – the first state policy aimed at establishing the fate of those who went missing during the military dictatorship. This experience is important for Ukraine in a time of war, when thousands of people are going missing in the occupied territories.
During the meetings in Chile, participants discussed the similarities between the Ukrainian and Chilean experiences, including the need to document crimes, ensure justice and preserve the memory of victims. Chilean partners expressed solidarity with Ukraine and assured their support for efforts to restore justice.
Ambassador of Ukraine to Chile, Yurii Diudin also met with representatives of ZMINA and TDC in Santiago. He stressed the importance of combining diplomatic and non-governmental efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s voice in South America.
Photo: Meeting with the Ambassador of Ukraine to ChileThe shared experience of Chile and Ukraine in combating impunity and preserving the memory of victims of human rights violations creates a solid basis for further cooperation in the field of human rights protection and restoration of justice.
The advocacy trip was organized by the Transatlantic Dialogue Centre (TDC) with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
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