Oleksandra Matviichuk is one of Ukraine’s most prominent human rights defenders, pouring her heart into advocating for justice and democracy. As the head of the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), she has played a vital role in defending human rights in Ukraine and across the OSCE region, earning international acclaim when the CCL received the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Matviichuk has tirelessly worked to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable, presenting detailed reports to the United Nations, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the International Criminal Court. Her passionate advocacy has sought justice for victims of war crimes and political oppression, notably through her campaign #SaveOlegSentsov—later expanded into #LetMyPeopleGo—which shone a global spotlight on Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia.
Her unwavering commitment has been honored with prestigious awards, including the Vasyl Stus Prize, the Defender of Democracy Award from the OSCE, and the U.S. Embassy’s ‘Courageous Woman of Ukraine’ Award.
From the bottom of our hearts, we are so deeply grateful for her inspiring support of the DETY project—a vital effort to document war crimes. She has consistently stood with us since she joined the Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s efforts during her 2024 Canadian tour to catalog war crimes, including the plight of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Her belief in fostering resilience and justice has given us hope and strength, and her early and ongoing involvement has magnified the impact of our work in ways we can’t fully express. It means the world to us to have her by our side.
Human Rights Defender Matviichuk has been a vocal advocate for an international tribunal to hold Russian and Belarusian leadership accountable for crimes during the war against Ukraine. Her work is a testament to the power of resilience and the unwavering belief that justice must prevail, no matter the circumstances. Oleksandra Matviichuk remains a symbol of courage, inspiring human rights defenders everywhere to stand up against oppression and fight for a better future.
