Euroasian Jewish News

EAJC GC Chairman participates in second Crimean Forum

On November 10-11, 2016, the Crimean Forum, an event dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, took place in Lviv. The Ukrainian Helsinki Group fought for human rights in the Soviet Union despite being threatened with imprisonment, forced psychiatric treatment, concentration camps, and death.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress General Council Chairman, Co-President of Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations (VAAD) Ukraine, former political prisoner Josef Zissels moderated the panel “Achievements and losses of the Helsinki movement from the perspective of human rights advocates,” which took place on November 10. Participants of the panel included former political prisoner Iosif Begun (Israel), former political prisoner, President of the Center for Rights and Liberties Vardan Arutyunyan (Armenia), Director of the Foundation for Civil Protection Stasis Kaushnis (Lithuania), former political prisoner and former Minister of Internal Affairs of Estonia Lagle Parek.

The first Crimean Forum of former political prisoners of Communist regimes, representatives of national liberation movements, and human rights activists took place in Simferopol, on May 19, 2012. The participants of the second forum decisively condemned the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.