Oleksandra Matviichuk

Why you should listen

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Oleksandra Matviichuk responded by helping create the Tribunal for Putin initiative, in an effort to document international crimes taking place in the regions under attack. As head of the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), she works to protect human rights and establish democracy in Ukraine. CCL also works to develop legislative changes, exercise public oversight of law enforcement agencies and judiciary, conduct educational activities for young people and implement international solidarity programs for the region.

Under her leadership, CCL was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. In 2022, Matviichuk also received the Right Livelihood Award for building sustainable democratic institutions in Ukraine and modeling a path to international accountability for war crimes. She was also recognized as one of the year’s 25 most influential women by the Financial Times.