Human Rights Conference in memory of Yu.M. Schmidt. War.

About the conference

Dear colleagues!

On April 29-30, 2023, the annual international conference in memory of the outstanding human rights lawyer and dissident Yuri M. Schmidt will be held in Berlin. The conference is organized with the participation of public figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

This year, the conference is dedicated to the investigation and documentation of war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, overcoming the consequences of the war, and the human rights situation in Russia.

The human rights conference in memory of Yuri M. Schmidt has been held in Berlin since 2017 with the support of the Center for Liberal Modernity (Zentrum Liberale Moderne). Over the years, participants have included leading Russian human rights organizations, lawyers, civil activists, and international political figures.

If you have any additional questions, you can contact us by email at [email protected]

PROGRAM

Human Rights Conference in memory of Yu.M. Schmidt. War.

Program and speakers list are subject to change.

April 29

Day 1

09:00 — 10:00

Participant registration

10:00 — 10:30

Welcome speech, conference opening

  • Ralf Fücks and Marieluise Beck, Founders of the Center for Liberal Modernity;
  • Mikhail Khodorkovsky, public figure.

10:30 — 12:00

Panel discussion:

Claims against the Russian state, evidence collection, and admissibility criteria for the International Criminal Court. Forcibly displaced Ukrainian refugees, children and prisoners of war taken from occupied territories.

Moderator:

  • Anastasia Burakova – lawyer, founder of the «Ark» project.

Speakers:

  • Scott Martin, lawyer, director of Global Justice Advisors and co-founder of Global Rights Compliance;
  • Nikolai Polozov, адвокат, правозащитник, основатель гуманитарной инициативы «Пошук.Полон»;
  • Vladimir Zhbankov, «Searching for POWs», candidate of legal sciences, expert on migration law (online);
  • Svetlana Gannushkina, Russian human rights activist, chairperson of the «Civic Assistance» Committee and member of the «Memorial» Human Rights Center Council;
  • Elena Lukyanova, Doctor of Law, attorney, rector of the Free University;
  • Karina Moskalenko, attorney, Center for International Protection Assistance.

12:00 — 12:30

Coffee break

12:30 — 14:00

Panel discussion:

Documenting Putin’s regime crimes in Russian media. Opportunities for covering war crimes and collecting evidence in occupied territories; forms and methods of gathering information about the crimes of the Russian army.

Moderator:

  • Egor Kuroptev, Director, Free Russia Foundation in the South Caucasus.

Speakers:

  • Ekaterina Arenina, journalist of «Proekt»;
  • Irina Dolinina, journalist of the «Important Stories» project, OSINT specialist;
  • Regina Gimalova, correspondent of the «Vyorstka» project;
  • Sergey Smirnov, editor-in-chief of «Mediazona».

14:00 — 15:00

Lunch

15:00 — 16:30

Panel discussion:

Refusal of military service during the war, surrender to captivity. Legislative changes and law enforcement practices.

Moderator:

  • Mikhail Kaluzhsky, playwright

Speakers:

  • Alexey Tabalov, founder of the «Conscript School», human rights defender;
  • Ivan Chuvilyaev, press attaché of the «Go to the Forest» movement;
  • Sergey Krivenko, board member of the International Memorial, director of the Human Rights Group «Citizen. Army. Law»;
  • Maxim Olenichev, lawyer of the human rights project «First Department».

April 30

Day 2

10:00 — 10:30

Report

Sexualized Violence in Conflict in Ukraine – Mechanisms for Restoring Violated Rights.

  • Dariana Gryaznova, Equality Now, lawyer; European Human Rights Advocacy Centre, legal consultant

10:30 — 11:00

Report

«Methods of recruiting prisoners for the Wagner PMC — documenting and confronting.»

  • Olga Romanova, journalist, director of the «Russia Sitting» movement.

11:00 — 11:30

Report

«Work of the Council of Europe and assistance in investigating war crimes in Ukraine.»

  • Sergey Lagodinsky, Member of the European Parliament.

11:30 — 12:00

Coffee break

12:00 — 13:30

Panel discussion

Repressive mechanisms for anti-war and civil positions within Russia

Moderator:

  • Marina Skorikova, coordinator Reforum Space Vilnius.

Speakers:

  • Sergey Davidis, human rights defender, director of the political prisoners support program;
  • Alexandra Baeva, lawyer, legal coordinator of OVD-Info;
  • Alexandra Garmazhapova, head of the «Free Buryatia» foundation;
  • Evgenia Chirikova, founder of the «Activatica» portal;
  • Vadim Prokhorov, attorney.

13:30 — 14:00

Coffee break

14:00 — 15:30

Panel discussion

Evacuation of persecuted Russians, support for the Russian civil opposition movement abroad, support for anti-war initiatives.

Moderator:

  • Egor Kuroptev, director of the Free Russia Foundation in the South Caucasus.

Speakers:

  • Anastasia Burakova, lawyer, founder of the «Ark» project;
  • Grigory Frolov, vice-president of the Free Russia Foundation;
  • Daria Belova, founder of the «InTransit» initiative.

15:30 — 16:00

Conference closing.

Gallery of past conferences

You can apply for participation by filling out the registration form

Аккредитация Прессы / Press Accreditation