Oświadczenia międzynarodowego środowiska PEN dotyczące sytuacji na Ukrainie
Oświadczenie wydane 22 lutego 2022 roku przez PEN International
Ukraine/Russia: PEN urges peaceful solution to deteriorating situation
We – PEN International, the worldwide association of writers, PEN Ukraine, and the undersigned PEN Centres – are gravely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ukraine, with Russia ordering troops over the Ukrainian border and threatening to escalate the use of military force. We call for a peaceful solution that respects the rights to all in Ukraine, through peaceful dialogue and full respect for freedom of expression, in line with the PEN Charter.
Eight years since Russia’s unrecognised ‘annexation’ of Crimea in violation of international law and the de facto control by pro-Russian armed groups of the self-proclaimed ‘republics’ in the Donbas, the human rights situation in Ukraine continues to raise severe concerns. Over 14,000 people have been killed, nearly 1.45 million people have been internally displaced, and scores of journalists have been detained, kidnapped, tortured, or otherwise harassed solely for carrying out their work. Violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law – or the laws of war – in occupied Crimea persist. Meanwhile, Russia has been accused of being behind a string of cyber-attacks against Ukraine, which recently targeted its defence ministry. On 17 February 2022, the shelling of schools and residential areas in the Donbas injured civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure. On 21 February, President Putin recognized the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ as independent states – in breach of international law – and sent in troops, ostensibly as ‘peacekeepers’.
‘All individuals have a right to peace, free expression and free assembly. Ukrainian people have already suffered eight long years of violence, including military aggression, sophisticated information warfare and occupation of part of the Ukrainian territory by Russia. As PEN members, we abide by our Charter and pledge ourselves to do our utmost to dispel all hatreds and to champion the ideal of one humanity living in peace and equality in one world. We are deeply concerned by the worsening situation in Ukraine, and the threat that further bloodshed would have on all people in Ukraine and to the peace, security, and hopes of all throughout the region. We call once again on all parties to do all within their powers to ensure a peaceful resolution to the armed conflict in Ukraine through peaceful dialogue and end the use of propaganda that is fueling the violence’, said Burhan Sonmez, PEN International president.
‘The hybrid war waged by Russia against Ukraine for eight years is now turning into a conventional one, in which casualties among soldiers and civilians could number in the hundreds of thousands. Europe has not been able to defend European values on its territory, of which Ukraine is a part. We are no longer at the edge of the abyss; we are already holding one foot over it. If the leaders of the free world do not make a last decisive attempt to stop the war that the Russian Federation so wants to unleash, it will be safe to say: the Second World War taught humanity nothing! I appeal to all free people of our planet – do everything possible to protect the freedom and independence of Ukraine. There can be no free and safe Europe without a free and independent Ukraine!’, said Andriy Kurkov, PEN Ukraine president.
We deplore the threat to peace and free expression caused by President Putin’s refusal to accept the rights of Ukraine’s people to debate their future allegiance and history without Moscow’s interference. The annexation of Crimea, the crossing of troops in the Donbas, and his unwarranted concentration of forces in the region, whether along Western borders or in the Black Sea, must cease. The sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine ought to be respected. Multi-lateral fora for the avoidance of conflict and misunderstanding should be used, and freedom of expression and access to information both in Ukraine and Russia fully protected.
Signatories
PEN International
PEN Ukraine
Albanian PEN
Austrian PEN
Croatian PEN
PEN America
PEN Canada
PEN Centre of Bosnia & Herzegovina
PEN Club of Cuban Writers in Exile
PEN Moscow
PEN Netherlands
PEN Norway
Vietnamese Abroad PEN
Polish PEN Club
Oświadczenie wydane 22 lutego 2022 roku przez Writers for Peace Committee
Statement on behalf of the Writers for Peace Committee calling for an end to the intimidation of Ukraine
The intimidation and worse of Ukraine by the Russian government and military, and their allies in Belarus, is an affront to civilised values, a massive blow for freedom of expression, and a terrible threat to world peace. There is a whiff of 1913 in the air, with Russia’s rulers behaving depressingly like the Kaiser and his generals. War is not a game nor are 19th century imperial power politics appropriate for the global challenges of the 21st century. Whether the aim is to cross the border with troops, use cyber attacks to disrupt Ukrainian life, blockade trade along Black Sea coasts, bring fear and insecurity to people in Ukraine and nearby states, or curtail the rights of their own citizens, such actions are unacceptable.
The Russian government needs to desist immediately. If it is worried about its own security there are plenty of multilateral and bilateral fora for discussing issues and finding reassurance. If it is serious about protecting Russia’s place in the international community it will draw back its forces and repair the damage to its reputation among the nations of the world that the actions of recent years have caused. Global peace rests on global trust, as the government in Russia knows from its position as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. If such trust is shattered it will take a generation to repair and we will all be less secure, poorer and less able to deal with climate change, disease and all other crises.
As writers we believe that the free circulation and discussion of ideas, without threat or censorship, is the best means of keeping humanity safe and innovative.
’Here we have a real situation where fake news is created in order to start a war that will affect not only Europe but all the world. I appeal to journalists to be honest and objective and to writers to be open and engage in any attempt to avert the looming danger of war in Europe’, says Andrey Kurkov, President of Pen Ukraine.
As the Writers for Peace Committee of PEN International, we have been available for nearly forty years to cross political dividing lines and propose new ideas to help communities and countries come to positive and lasting agreement. We therefore call on Russia and Belarus’s Presidents to end their isolation, come to a new understanding of their country’s real interests, and work to deliver peace and the benefits it will bring to all generations. That can only start when Russia and Belarus renounce the threat of violence.