Stop the War coalition, 9.8.23

Ukrainian conscientious objector, human rights defender and lawyer Yurii Sheliazhenko had his apartment broken into by the Ukrainian Security Service last week who conducted an illegal search and seizure operation. They took his phone, his computer and some documents of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement and he has formally been charged by the Ukrainian government. This was just two weeks after prominent Russian anti-war activist and Kremlin critic, Boris Kagarlitsky, was detained and faces up to seven years in prison.

The UK government has also introduced harsh anti-protest measures. The politically motivated crackdown on peace activists by the Ukrainian, Russian and UK governments is designed to intimidate anti-war activists and deter those thinking of taking to the streets.

Instead of targeting those peacefully protesting the worsening crisis in Ukraine, our government, as well as the Russian and Ukrainian authorities, should focus their efforts on negotiating a peace deal

It is critically important for us to fight back against this crackdown, express our solidarity towards Yurii and Boris and continue our peaceful campaign against war. We must try to bring the focus back to tackling international disputes peacefully. It will only be through extra-parliamentary activity that any opposition to the war will be heard.

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