25 apr Anastasia Lykholat, ZMINA: ”Freedom is the privilege you need to protect”
Anastasia Lykholat är chef för insamlingsarbetet på den ukrainska människorättsorganisationen ZMINA. Vi på Östgruppen är stolta över att samarbeta med henne och kollegorna i ZMINA för att försvara och stärka ukrainares mänskliga rättigheter och bidra till att organisationen kan fortsätta arbeta trots svåra omständigheter. Intervjun i original är på engelska.
Could you tell us a bit what ZMINA is and what it does, and what you aim to accomplish.
ZMINA was founded in 2012 by journalists and human rights defenders to promote human rights in Ukraine. With over a decade of work, ZMINA has grown and evolved along with the Ukrainian people, expanding its programs, initiatives, advocacy, and solidarity campaigns. These efforts have been undertaken mainly in response to events in our country, such as the Revolution of Dignity and the following reform agenda, the occupation of Crimea, parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Despite all the changes, ZMINA remains committed to its core values and mission. Therefore, we invest in our capacity to share news, articles, columns, videos, and other content on our website and various social media so that a broad audience can access information about the human rights situation in Ukraine.
In 2025, ZMINA has several key priority areas for action: efforts to seek accountability and justice for survivors of war crimes, missing persons, and their families, advancing a human-rights perspective in reintegration policy, protecting human rights defenders and emerging civil society groups, including journalists and activists in occupied territories, and promoting human rights in negotiations on Ukraine’s path towards the EU.
Of course, we cherish the multiple partnerships, coalitions, and networks we have built along the way to help civil society in Ukraine. We are part of the the global network that advance the value of freedom, and our collaboration with Östgruppen is part of this. We stand in solidarity with and try to support all people who protect human rights.
The war and whole current situation in Ukraine is upending lives and making life very difficult – how do you cope with it, personally, and how has Zmina adapted and coped as an organisation to stay resilient?
For many Ukrainians, including myself, the war started in 2014 with the occupation of the Crimean peninsula and parts of the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine, pushing many people from their homes. My hometime was occupied for just three months in 2014, but the trauma and horror of that period stayed fresh for a much longer time. Other Ukrainian communities remain under occupation until now, protracting a suffocating experience of Russia’s rule for residents.
Over the last three years, ZMINA has built the capacity to document cases of enforced disappearance, torture, ill-treatment, and abuse committed against civilians during the war. We share the results of collected evidence with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies as well as multiple international mechanisms and diplomatic missions, aiming to preserve the truth and memory and support decision-making and response.
Given the scale and scope of crimes, we joined others at the “Ukraine 5 am Coalition” to coordinate our efforts. Additionally, our team started to pay more attention to the personal toll the war takes on our staff members, including their health, so we encouraged people to take breaks and care for themselves.
Lack of accountability for Russia’s actions back in 2014 resulted in a much bloodier and crueler war that impacted many more lives. Now, it is up to us to learn this lesson and do whatever we can to seek justice for the crime of aggression and crimes against humanity. Then, to rebuild our lives and homes, so that the new generations can prosper and live in peace. This goal helps many of my colleagues and me stay resilient.
Ukraine has been subjected to a full scale invasion for over three years now, and the international political landscape is rapidly changing. What are your hopes for the future?
In a way, a war makes things more straightforward and lucid. There is less time to hide behind empty statements, and people start to pay attention to the deeds. You become more efficient with your time, adapting fast, pushing yourself to do more now, and relying on horizontal networks. The era of uncertainty we entered recently requires every person to develop these skills, especially if they work in human rights.
Like many other Ukrainian human rights organisations, ZMINA is lucky to have the support of partners from many countries, including Sweden. We genuinely appreciate this support and the opportunity to expand our collaboration. We can learn a lot from each other about the resilience of human rights defenders, actions to promote freedom, and plan joint solidarity campaigns.
Strong civil society and respect for the rule of law make countries with a potent defense sector stronger and more prosperous, and Ukraine cannot afford any other future.
Looking ahead, what role do you think the European Union and countries like Sweden should have in relation to Ukraine and Russia to ensure a lasting a fair peace and a stable, prosperous Ukraine?
In the short term, I hope that European countries and the EU as a bloc will continue their strong solidarity with Ukraine, its defenders, and civil society. That we continue learning from and supporting each other to make the future as we see it possible, not as dictators and authoritarians impose.
In the medium and long term, the stability of any country on our continent can be achieved by investing in people, protecting their rights and freedoms, guaranteeing the rule of law, and supporting economic development, trade, and defense that strengthens Europe.
Freedom is the privilege that Sweden, or any other European country, needs to protect. Otherwise, like Ukraine, you will have to fight for it.
What role can a strengthened awareness of human rights and fundamental freedoms faciliate a future peace and reconstruction of Ukraine?
Protected human rights are an integral part of the political system with institutions that serve its citizens. Conditions in places of detention, treatment of migrants and internally displaced persons in host communities, non-discrimination when it comes to access to educational or employment opportunities, ability to assemble peacefully, express your point of view and participate in a fair trial to resolve your matter or access various governmental services. All of these areas of public life are grounded in the respect for human rights as an obligation of the government. In response, citizens fulfill their part of a social contract by paying taxes and protecting the country in case of invasion.
ZMINA works to build such a system in Ukraine, where public policies and institutions respect human rights. We mainly focus on and advocate for this within the framework of the negotiation between Ukraine and the EU to join the bloc in the future, as well as when it comes to the design and implementation of the policies that aim to reintegrate temporarily occupied territories and address the consequences of Russia’s war.