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The Ukrainian Victims of War foundation is looking for supporters for its class action that aims to put an end to the recruitment of soldiers for the Russian Federation and its war in Ukraine through online classifieds Avito.ru. You can show your support by signing this petition.

What is this class action about?

On 24 February 2022, the army of the Russian Federation invaded the independent and sovereign state of Ukraine. The reported atrocities range from the complete wiping out of cities like Mariupol, to the killing of innocent civilians in Bucha and the bombing of civilian hospitals and schools. This violates the human rights of Ukrainians.

The Russian Federation recruited soldiers for its army, ranging from anti-tank grenadiers to drivers, reconnaissance snipers and riot police officers through adverts and listings on online platform Avito.ru. They are recruited for local units in many regions of the state and then deployed to Ukraine.

Avito.ru is a subsidiary of Prosus, a Dutch listed company. Under Dutch law and Prosus' public commitment to human rights, it has the obligation to actively intervene in human rights violations and to stop them. It is clear that allowing adverts for the recruitment of soldiers is contributing to human rights violations in Ukraine by allowing the Russian Federation and its proxies to seek recruits for these violations of human rights.

However, contrary to these obligations and responsibilities, Prosus seems to do exactly the opposite. Prosus announced that it stopped its involvement with Avito and let it run by local – Russian – management. Even more worrying is that it announced that it will sell Avito. The risk is immense that the adverts and listings will again be shown and that they will increase in amount after Prosus sells Avito, especially to the wrong buyer. This must be prevented by all means. Asked to do so, however, Prosus did not want to provide any guarantees that after Avito is sold, appropriate measures will be taken against the adverts and listings. This is despite the fact that Prosus can make agreements with a potential buyer about this.

The Ukrainian Victims of War Foundation therefore intends to start legal proceedings against Prosus and its group companies demanding that Prosus puts a definitive end to these illegal listings. If Prosus is going to sell Avito, a guarantee must be given that the buyer will ensure that the illegal advertisements and listings will not reappear on Avito. In this regard, the Ukrainian Victims of War Foundation will shortly start preliminary relief proceedings before the Amsterdam court under the Dutch collective action regime to force Prosus to take appropriate steps to prevent the online recruitment for Russian military.

The proceedings will be conducted against the following companies:

• Prosus N.V., having its registered office in Amsterdam;
• OLX Global B.V., having its registered office in Amsterdam;
• MIH e-commerce Holdings B.V., having its registered office in Amsterdam; and
• MIH Internet Holdings B.V., having its registered office in Amsterdam.

How can I show my support?

By signing the petition you can support us in the Prosus case. In this way we can show the court that there is broad support for this action. Although we are happy with all forms of support, for this action we are actively seeking support from victims of the war in Ukraine such as Ukrainian residents and refugees. This includes those who have left Ukraine temporarily or permanently since 2014.

What is the Ukrainian Victims of War Foundation?

The Ukrainian Victims of War Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in the Netherlands that aims to protect the interests and fundamental human rights of Ukrainian victims of the war started by the Russian Federation together with pro-Russian separatists and other allies and auxiliaries in February 2014. 

How can I withdraw my support?

You can withdraw your support for our class action against Prosus. For more information on how to withdraw your support, please select this link. 

What are the costs?

The foundation operates on the basis of donations and favors. The foundation is not funded by a third party. The board of the foundation does not receive any remuneration. Expressing support for the foundation is free of charge. 

Where can I find more information about your foundation and the proceedings?

Please visit our website https://uawarvictims.org/ for more information about The Ukrainian Victims of War Foundation's and its board. The website also contains an overview of the status of the proceedings.

Privacy

The Ukrainian Victims of War Foundation values the privacy of its supporters. You can find the privacy statement of the foundation here https://uawarvictims.org/en/privacy-statement