We Refuse to Stay Silent: Demand Accountability for Russian Delegates at the IPU Summit

While the Russian army continues bombing Ukrainian cities, and inside Russia people face raids, trials, and arrests for any dissent, a delegation of Russian officials took the stage at an international forum.

Valentina Matvienko, Pyotr Tolstoy, Leonid Slutsky, and 10 more deputies flew to Switzerland and took part in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Summit. Matvienko already spoke at the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament. The event’s theme: “Leadership for a more inclusive and peaceful world.”

The summit is organized under the auspices of the IPU — the world’s oldest multilateral parliamentary organization, with broad country representation and a declared mission to promote democracy, peace, human rights, and gender equality.

What exactly do Matvienko, Tolstoy, and Slutsky represent from that list? Those who vote for repression, spread propaganda, and claim that “Ukraine as a country does not exist”?

They are under sanctions — and yet speak in the name of peace

Matvienko, Tolstoy, and Slutsky are under personal sanctions from the EU and Switzerland. Matvienko has been on the sanctions list since 2014, for supporting the annexation of Crimea and authorizing the deployment of troops to the so-called “DPR” and “LPR.” Sanctions against her have also been imposed by the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ukraine.

Despite this, on July 27, 2025, she and 12 other representatives of the Russian government arrived freely in Geneva. Matvienko was greeted with flowers at the airport, without a hint of protest. These sanctioned individuals were not only allowed entry into the country — they were given the floor at an official international forum. Matvienko spoke at the UN headquarters, claiming there was “Nazism in Ukraine” and calling for a visit to Donbas to witness the “crimes of the Kyiv regime.”

How did they get into Switzerland?

Despite the sanctions, Valentina Matvienko and the rest of the Russian delegation were granted entry permits to Switzerland. This was made possible through an exception provided for participants in events hosted by international organizations. In this case, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the State Secretariat for Migration issued the necessary authorizations.

The delegation traveled to Geneva by Russian government aircraft. The flight was allowed to pass through EU airspace, including Italy — a key transit country. Without Italy’s approval, the direct flight would not have been possible. This means the delegation’s arrival was known to and approved by European states in advance.

The visit was kept secret until the last moment. Until July 26 — just one day before the summit — neither IPU nor the host authorities published the list of participants. Announcements of Matvienko’s visit appeared only in English-language press releases, and only after her speech. On the official website of the Federation Council and in Russian federal media, the trip was either not mentioned at all or downplayed with minimal details.

This looked like a deliberate attempt to deceive both audiences. In Russia — no mention of the visit, no footage from Geneva, no talk of an “inclusive world.” Russian media continued their usual line: confrontation with the West, sanctions, “Russophobia.” Abroad — the very same officials freely participated in a summit with a mission of promoting human rights, shaking hands, giving interviews, and talking about “peace.”

This created two parallel realities: one for domestic consumption, where “the West is afraid and oppresses us,” and another for the international audience, where regime officials smoothly integrate into diplomatic formats and gain legitimacy. This double-speak isn’t just cynical — it’s dangerous. It allows a repressive system to disguise itself as a participant in dialogue and use international platforms to push its propaganda.

This is not a mistake. It demands accountability.

We, members of Russian and international civil society who oppose war, dictatorship, and repression, express our outrage at the participation of Russian delegates in the Geneva summit. And we call on everyone who shares our values to sign the open letter addressed to the IPU and Swiss authorities.

The organizations Russia of the Future and Russie-Libertés have drafted an open letter demanding that such individuals be banned from international venues and that the circumstances of their entry into Switzerland be investigated.

Read and sign the letter here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zmtd4Qrm2bLbDoofqFtSTaIzhhGWwU7NN2LbJ2KqzVQ/

Please share this statement. Staying silent enables war propagandists to keep appearing at international forums.