Natalya Merkuryeva-Dennett - Russia - Movement Soprotivlenie

25th Annual Conference of Victim Support Europe “25 Years of Victim Support in Europe – New Challenges.”
(Photo: With Will Marling, Executive Director of NOVA - National Organization for Victim Assistance, Alexandria, VA, USA)

Soprotivlenie is a Russian NGO that provides support and protection to witnesses and victims of crime. It was founded in 2005 in Moscow, Russia.
The goals of Soprotivlenie are to create new methods of legal support to the victims of crime, to establish the mechanisms of cooperation between law-enforcement agencies and NGOs in supporting victims, to improve the legal status of victims, and to raise the awareness of the victims' rights through lectures, conferences, and publications.

Soprotivlenie has been a member of Victim Support Europe (VSE) Association since 2008.This year, the 25th annual VSE conference was held in Moscow. As an intern, I helped organize the conference and helped throughout the conference. I also attended some workshops because of my special interest in this incredible topic. The conference consisted of numerous workshops such as: 1. Support for young victims of crime 2. Referral systems in various European countries 3. Working with the media – Kathleen O’Hara (USA) 4. Elderly victims of crime 5. Victim support in Russia 6. Organized crimes / child exploitation / human trafficking/ terrorism 7. Compensation to victims of crime 8. Tourist victims / cross border referrals and compensation 9. Victim Support in USA and Canada 10. Restorative Justice.

I have met a lot of interesting people from all over the world: politicians, judges, and attorneys. It was a big honor for me to represent Regent University School of Law and Center for Global Justice.

Along with the conference, we work everyday here in Soprotivlenie: meeting with and helping victims of crime, telling them about their rights, filing the required documents, and representing the victims in court are just some of the numerous everyday functions of Soprotivlenie.

(Photo: With Luke Dembosky, U.S. Department of Justice, resident legal advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia)

Stay safe and God bless you.