International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) has expressed concern and anxiety in connection with the events taking place in Ukraine. "We especially consider unworthy use of brute force against peaceful demonstrators, including tens of thousands of university students who were documented by journalists on camera and shown in the media," says the statement, which is signed by secretary general prof. Msgr.Guy-Réal Thivierge.
International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) has expressed concern and anxiety in connection with the events taking place in Ukraine. "We especially consider unworthy use of brute force against peaceful demonstrators, including tens of thousands of university students who were documented by journalists on camera and shown in the media," says the statement, which is signed by secretary general prof. Msgr.Guy-Réal Thivierge.
"We support demands to find and hold accountable those who initiated and ordered these acts of aggression against peaceful student demonstrators. We will also appeal to our governments to urge the government of Ukraine to bring perpetrators of these acts to justice.
There are also repeated reports that the Ministry of Education is demanding from universities lists of students and professors who were participating in peaceful protests. We are concerned that there may be reprisals against them, which would be unacceptable in any civilized country.
We strongly support the fundamental right of our colleagues in Ukraine to express their views in public, as part of the rights of assembly and free expression as guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine, without fear of violence, and strongly condemn any violation of this right. We demand that the Ukrainian government guarantee the safety and civil rights and liberties of its citizens.
By representing the network of Catholic universities and colleges, we firmly believe in the God-given inalienable dignity of each human person which proscribes any recourse to harassment or violence by the state as a method in the resolution of social and political tensions".