ZMINA received the “Knights of Human Rights” award from Suspilne
On December 20, 2024, the Kyiv Cinema House hosted a presentation of the documentary series “Knights of Human Rights” produced by Fresh Production Group at the request of Suspilne and the presentation of the awards of the same name. The statuettes were awarded to 12 Ukrainian human rights organisations, among which – ZMINA.
Tetiana Pechonchyk (photo) Photo by Valeriia Mezentseva, Suspilne Broadcasting “Our generation is living in extreme conditions – a time of disasters, wars, revolutions, pandemics, when many challenges to human rights arise and when human rights defenders have a lot of work to do. That is why today I want to thank my team, which is more than fifty people with whom ZMINA works every day to achieve its mission, so that every person in Ukraine can protect their rights“, said Tetyana Pechonchyk, head of ZMINA, when receiving the award.
Photo by Valeriia Mezentseva, Suspilne Broadcasting In addition to Human Rights Centre ZMINA, the awards were also given to NGOs that protect the rights of the military, children, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, internally displaced persons, families of prisoners, missing and dead, and document war crimes of the Russian Federation. Among them: Centre for Civil Liberties, Truth Hounds, Media Initiative for Human Rights, Fight For Right, Association of Azovstal Defenders’ Families, Ukrainian Child Rights Network, Regional Centre for Human Rights (RCHR), Crimea SOS, Blue Bird, INSIGHT, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group.
Photo by Valeriia Mezentseva, Suspilne Broadcasting “Knights of Human Rights” is a 12-episode series that tells the stories of Ukrainian human rights defenders who have become a shield for society in the most difficult times.
The project combines interviews with the protagonists, archival materials and reconstructions of events, creating a deep emotional connection with the viewers. On December 15 and 22, the first four episodes of the project were broadcast on the First Channel of Suspilne, dedicated to the Centre for Civil Liberties, Truth Hounds, Media Initiative for Human Rights and Fight For Right.
“This project is not only about fighting, but also about hope. Our heroes deserve attention and support because their courage is impressive“, said Volodymyr Ladyzhets, project producer and director of the Department for the Production of Socially Impactful Content of Suspilne
The series’ director Roman Barabash admitted that working on the material was emotionally challenging: “We recorded interviews about torture, the tragedy in Olenivka, the forced deportation of children and the fight for their identity. These stories are evidence of the resilience of the Ukrainian people“.
Liudmyla Yankina and Tetiana Pechonchyk (photo) Photo by Valeriia Mezentseva, Suspilne BroadcastingThe documentary series “Knights of Human Rights” demonstrates how civil society shapes the future of Ukraine by standing up to aggression and injustice. All episodes of the documentary series “Knights of Human Rights” can be viewed on the Suspilne website.
Suspilne Broadcasting is an independent media company with a strong presence across all platforms: Pershyi, Suspilne Kultura, Suspilne Sport and a national network of local channels; the radio stations: Radio Ukraine, Radio Promin, Radio Kultura, and Radiotochka.
