More than 100 Ukrainian families have attended the presentation of the “Access to Justice for Ukraine” project, held at the San José – Jesuitas València Schools and launched by Foundation for Justice.
The initiative aims to compile the damages suffered by the victims of war crimes in Ukraine to facilitate their reparation and has the support of the public universities of Alacant, Jaume I of Castelló, Miguel Hernández of Elche and the University of Valencia, of the Department of Justice, Interior and Public Administration, of the Vice-Presidency and Department of Equality and Inclusive Policies, of the Directorate of Development Cooperation and Migration of the Valencia City Council, of the Consulate of Ukraine in the Valencian Community, of the Illustrious College of Lawyers of Valencia, the Federation of Ukrainian Associations of Spain, the Vinatea Editorial Foundation and the San José de València Schools.
The president of the Foundation for Justice, José María Tomás, explained that they have met to listen, understand and decide if they want to be compensated as a result of the Russian invasion of their country. “We believed, since July 2022, that all victims have the right to compensation and when it is something as serious as an invasion of a country by a foreign power, that compensation has to be made in favor of each of the people. The main question we ask them is What has changed in your life since the invasion?. And that is what needs to be repaired.”
The project has consisted of providing training to the people who care for the victims. The International Criminal Court has also been contacted and, in addition to training people, FxJ has prepared a computer program that allows the recording of statements anonymously, separating the story from the person, and only in the Criminal Court will join the story with the declarant. There is an information point open in each of the four universities, another in an office of the Valencia City Council and two information points in the Valencia Bar Association. These processes have no cost. “No one should ask for anything in return, it is the Ukrainian people who volunteer their stories to send to the Criminal Court.”
Throughout the morning there were games and workshops for the children who attended, with the collaboration of “Payasospital”.