The Open Dialogue Foundation is an international non-governmental organization, founded in 2009 in Poland on the initiative of a Ukrainian student and civic activist Ludmyla Kozłowska - and currently headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Poland's Marcin Mycielski, Bartosz Kramek, Michał Boni and Andrzej Wielowieyski co-form its management and supervisory boards.
According to its statute, the Open Dialogue Foundation conducts research and advocacy on human rights and the rule of law in the post-Soviet area and - since 2018 - within the European Union as well. It has also been delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine and supporting refugees fleeing that country - first in 2014-2016 during the first Russian invasion, and again since February 2022 since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2015, Russia adopted a law on so-called 'undesirable foreign and international organizations'. The Kremlin's blacklist includes all the most important non-profits defending human rights and civil liberties, monitoring democratic processes and supporting the development of civil society. Inclusion on the list of 'undesirable organizations' means a ban on conducting any activity in Russia - and violating this ban is punishable by fines and imprisonment.
Russia first illegally invaded Ukraine in 2014 - and has occupied a significant part of the country ever since. On February 24, 2022, Moscow took things further mounting an unlawful and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine - which is the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
The United Nations reports state that since the full-scale invasion started, Russians have committed numerous war crimes in Ukraine, often attacking non-military targets and killing tens of thousands of civilians in the process.
Tuesday is day 762 of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.
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Source: IAR