15 September 2014

Twenty-five years after German Reunification, an event that in many ways made the creation of a “Common European Home” possible, we face a very real threat - everything we have worked for in the last quarter of a century could disappear. In Russia, Ukraine and Germany, and with the help of people in many other countries, we have worked together towards a peaceful resolution of the East-West confrontation. Through practical civil society collaboration extending across borders, we have advocated the values of the European Convention on Human Rights. Our aim is permanent peace in Europe, realized by the citizens living in this continent.

It is with great outrage that we acknowledge that, in recent weeks and months, the government of the Russian Federation has been trying to destroy the foundations of the “European Home”. Following the annexation of the Crimea – in direct violation of international law – the Russian government is supporting leaders in East Ukraine who are dependent on Russia, and who have perpetrated major assaults on the civilian population. Russia is waging war in Ukraine! In the middle of Europe, civilians – regardless of their views on the current leadership in Kiev – are being forced to suffer the consequences of a war conflict that is leading to violations of human rights on all sides.

This outward aggression is accompanied by on-going internal repression. For years, the Russian authorities have been engaging in a campaign against the civil society in their own country. Examples of this include increasingly severe restrictions on the right to protest and the denouncement of independent NGOs as “foreign agents”, as well as arbitrary criminal prosecution and the imprisonment of individuals. With ever-newer measures, the Russian authorities attempt to destroy the foundations of international collaboration “from below”.

All these reasons make us demand of the Russian authorities: Stop. Stop breaking the international commitments and honour the territorial integrity of Ukraine! Stop characterising external powers and internal organisations as enemies and help protect the opportunities that the end of the Cold War brought us all!

We call on the European governments to defend the goal of a “European Home”, which would be obliterated by the long-term return of a military approach to politics. Stand up for the integrity of all European countries and the European Convention on Human Rights! Whoever is not prepared to stand up against this attack on the European framework of peace and protect the independence of Ukraine will undermine the basis of our “Common European Home”.

We shall continue with our collaborative work towards a peaceful, democratic Europe. Along with our Russian civil society colleagues, who are preparing a demonstration in Moscow on 21 September 2014, here in Berlin we will show our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and those fighting for democracy and human rights in Russia. Use your participation to send a strong message!

Signatories:

Thomas Ammer, Euskirchen; Vera Ammer, Initiative Demokratische Ukraine, Köln; Juri Andruchowytsch, Autor, Berlin, Nikolaus Becker, Fotograf, Berlin; Lukas Beckmann, Vorstand der GLS Treuhand e.V., Berlin; Jutta Begenau, Medizinsoziologin, Berlin; Yevgenia Belorusets, Autorin/Fotografin, Berlin/Kiew; Oleksandra Bienert, PRAVO, Berlin Group for Human Rights in Ukraine, Berlin; René Böll, Maler und Grafiker, Köln; Martin Böttger, Martin-Luther-King-Zentrum, Werdau; Tim Bohse, Deutsch-Russischer Austausch, Berlin; Marit Cremer, MEMORIAL Deutschland, Berlin; György Dalos, Schriftsteller, Berlin; Andreas Decker, MEMORIAL Deutschland e.V., München; Marat Dickermann, Kammermusiker, Frankfurt am Main; Christian Dietrich, Thüringer Landesbeauftragter für die Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Erfurt; Frank Ebert, Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft e.V., Berlin; Wolfgang Eichwede, Historiker, Berlin/Bremen; Sabine Erdmann-Kutnevic, MEMORIAL Deutschland e.V., Berlin; Alexander Formozov, iDecembrists e.V., Berlin; Peter Franck, Amnesty International, Sektion der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V., Berlin; Kathrin Franke, Solidarität mit der Bürgergesellschaft in Russland e.V., Berlin; Karl Wilhelm Fricke, Publizist, Köln; Ralf Fücks, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Berlin/Bremen; Swetlana Gannuschkina, Civic Assistance Committee, Moskau; Olga Gogoleva, Studentin, Berlin; Evghenie Golovaniuc, Köln; Gerold Hildebrand, Sozialwissenschaftler, Berlin; Wladimir Kaminer, Schriftsteller, Berlin; Kurt-Christoph v. Knobelsdorff, MinDir, Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit, Verkehr und Technologie d. Landes Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel/Berlin; Christiane Körner, Literaturübersetzerin, Frankfurt am Main; Aleksei Kozlov, www.art.20.org, Woronesch/Berlin; Sergej Kowaljow, MEMORIAL, Moskau; Olaf Kühl, Schriftsteller und Übersetzer, Berlin; Tetiana Lopashchuk, Dachverband der ukrainischen Organisationen in Deutschland, Kiew/Berlin; Christian Lübke, Geisteswiss. Zentrum Geschichte und Kultur Ostmitteleuropas e.V., Leipzig; Ekkehard Maaß, Publizist, Vorsitzender der Deutsch-Kaukasischen Gesellschaft, Berlin; Markus Meckel, Stiftung für deutsch-polnische Zusammenarbeit, Außenminister a.D., Berlin; Stefan Melle, Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V., Berlin; Edith Müller, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Berlin; Karl-Ernst Müller, Partnerschaft zur Ukraine e.V.; Barbara von Ow-Freytag, EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, Berlin, Kateryna Petrovska, Schriftstellerin, Berlin; Andrij Portnow, Historians.in.ua, Berlin, Eva Quistorp, MdEP a.D.,Frauen für Frieden, Berlin; Edgar von Radetzky, Facharzt, MEMORIAL Deutschland e.V., Berlin; Waleria Radziejowska-Hahn, Köln; Sarah Reinke, Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker, e.V., Berlin; Axel Reitel, Autor, Berlin; Michail Ryklin, Philosoph, Berlin; Manfred Sapper, Zeitschrift „osteuropa“, Berlin; Natalja Schapeler, Euromaidan Wache Berlin, Berlin; Irina Scherbakowa, MEMORIAL, Moskau; Stefanie Schiffer, Geschäftsführerin Europäischer Austausch gGmbH, Berlin; Elena Schlosser, Konferenzdolmetscherin, Übersetzerin, Berlin; Ulrich Schreiber, internationales literaturfestival berlin, Berlin; Tom Sello, Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft e.V., Berlin; Anna Sevortian, EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, Berlin; Diana Siebert, Köln; Nadja Simon, Simultandolmetscherin, Pulheim; Brigitte Steudel, Rentnerin, Berlin; Heinz Steudel, Rentner, Berlin; Wolfgang Templin, Publizist, Berlin, Stefan Troebst, Universität Leipzig; Esther Ullmann-Goertz, Pfarrerin, Mitgründerin der Gruppe "Solidarische Kirche" in der DDR, Berlin; Elisabeth Weber, Lew Kopelew Form e.V., Köln; Gerhard Weigt, Physiker, Berlin; Ingrid Weigt, Ärztin, Berlin; Gunter Weißgerber, MdB a.D., Leipzig; Reinhard Weißhuhn, Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft e.V., Berlin; Eva Wiesenecker, Slavistin und Autorin, Darmstadt.


[1] As far as there are added organizations to the signatories, this describes only the membership in the organization. It does not mean a statement by these organizations itself.