The “Barristers” association of advocates has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Caucasian organizations

The “Barristers” association of advocates has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the public organizations “Caucasian Union” and “International Institute for Caucasus Studies” in order to provide legal support to representatives of the Caucasian diaspora in Ukraine.

According to the company's statement, the signing of the document was a response to the challenges faced by people from the Caucasus who have been fighting against Russian aggression over recent decades. As partner of the “Barristers” association Yuriy Radziievskyi noted, the advocates specialize in criminal-law defense, particularly in cases involving politically motivated persecution.

“From 2014 to 2022, there were already cases in Ukraine of fighters of Caucasian origin being detained and extradited at the request of Russia. We will not allow such a practice to be repeated,” he stressed at a press conference at the “Interfax-Ukraine” agency on Thursday.

Another partner of the “Barristers” association, Oleksii Shevchuk, said that supporting the peoples of the Caucasus is part of a broader struggle for freedom. “Free Caucasus is an alliance of independence fighters who, shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians, are defending the right to be free. We publicly declare our support for this struggle,” he said.

The head of the public organization “Caucasian Union”, Dzhabrail Mirzoiev, stressed the importance of legal assistance, particularly in the context of repression and political persecution. “This team of advocates will help save the lives of many fighters,” he said.

For his part, the head of the public organization “International Institute for Caucasus Studies”, Kostiantyn Saliy, emphasized the role of an independent scientific platform that will allow Caucasian researchers to work freely and publish truthful materials. He also noted the importance of protecting scholars and activists from accusations of “extremism” by Russia: “In Ukraine you can prove your case by relying on advocates who know how to defend.”

The participants in the initiative believe that the signed memorandum will be an important milestone in protecting the rights of representatives of the Caucasian peoples amid Russia's ongoing aggression.