I Choose Not To Be Indifferent

Oleksandra Matviichuk is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer. Since 2014 she has been documenting war crimes with her organization Centre for Civil Liberties, that was rewarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

In De Balie, a Dutch organization that produces independent journalistic programs, she spoke about the fate and role of citizens in war. Her description of not being indifferent resonates with us.

It’s why Jocelyn and I chose to go to Ukraine. It was an act against being indifferent. We could do something. We could show up and help is some small way.

Not Indifferent
“Sometimes I found myself in very weird position that being a Nobel Peace Prize laurate, I have to convince someone that Ukrainians want peace.

Are you serious? The war is the most horrible thing which just can happen in the human life. For sure Ukrainians dream about peace.

But peace doesn’t come when country which was invaded stop fighting. That’s not peace. That’s occupation. And occupation is just another form of the war. Occupation doesn’t decrease human suffering. Occupation just makes human suffering invisible.

War Crimes

I know what I’m talking about because I’m documenting war crimes for 12 years already. And I know that Russian occupation is not just changing one state flag to another. Russian occupation means torture, enforced disappearances, rape, denial of your identity, forcible adoption of your own children, filtration camps and mass graves. This is Russian occupation.

Another story from our database is a story of children writer. He wrote beautiful stories for Ukrainian children. An entire generation of Ukrainian children brought up on his dies book. During Russian occupation, he disappeared. His family hoped to the last that he’s alive, but like dozens of thousands Ukrainian civilians are illegally kept in Russian captivity. But when Ukrainian army liberated Kharkiv region, we found mass grave in the forest near city Izum.

Mass graves of 447 bodies in Izum

And in this mass graves we found dead bodies of civilians, men, women, children with their hands tied under their back. And in unmarked grave under the number 319 we found the dead body of children writer, Volodymyr Vakulenko, with a visible sign of torture. I know his family. It’s very difficult for them to accept the result of identification.

Occupation

And you can ask me why Russians killed the children writer. The answer is simple. Because they could. Because this is what Russian occupation is about.

It one task to occupy the territories but another task to save control over the occupied territories. And that is why Russians impose terror against civilians. They physically exterminate active local people on the ground. Mayors, journalists, children writers, musicians, priests, environmentalists, teachers, any active people of community. So, for us there is no other choice.

If we stop resisting to Russian occupation and Russia will occupy the whole country, we will cease to exist.”

Watch Oleksandra’s talk here. Start at the 19:57 mark.

Between the Maidan Revolution of Dignity and 2022, Matviichuk focused on documenting war crimes during the conflict in the Donbas region. In 2021, Matviichuk was nominated for the United Nations Committee Against Torture, making history as the first female candidate from Ukraine for a UN treaty body.

She campaigned to reduce violence against women in conflict zones. In 2025, she became an ambassador for Protect Ukraine. Matviichuk has called for the prosecution of Vladimir Putin and Russian soldiers in a special tribunal, citing the extensive human rights violations committed by Russian forces.

Choose not to be indifferent. Share a thought, post a prayer, join the conversation and post a comment below. Thank you.

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