Justice for Mariupol residents – what does it include and how can it be achieved?

These issues were recently discussed in Odesa at the meeting "Mariupol Justice. Establishing Justice for the Mariupol Community".

The participants learnt more about the "Mariupol Justice" programme of the Mariupol City Council. At the request of the Mayor of Mariupol Vadym Boichenko, the damage is being assessed and the evidence is being collected to legally document the destruction, losses and damage. All this will form the basis for further compensation at the international and national levels.

Residents of Mariupol in Odesa said that their priority is to recognise the tragedy of Mariupol, document war crimes and receive fair compensation.

"First of all, for me, fair compensation means liberation of the city, returning home and getting compensation for the property. It's good that such meetings are held where Mariupol residents can discuss everything in an open dialogue," said Svitlana.

"There is no amount of money to compensate the pain that Mariupol residents have experienced. The foremost is moral compensation for the stolen childhood of our children, for the families of soldiers and prisoners of war," said Yana.

According to Vadym Boichenko, such meetings are not just about discussions, they are about building a common vision of the future. They help to better understand the needs of the community and work together to develop solutions.

"During the meeting, I spoke about the results of our work, in particular, about the assessment of the damage suffered by the city during the russian blockade, as well as about participation of Mariupol residents in the International Register of Damage for Ukraine. It was our community that submitted the largest number of reports in the country. In the future, this data will form the basis for fair compensation for the losses caused by the occupier," said Vadym Boichenko.