Condolences to the family of Ludmilla Alekseeva

With deep sadness we learned today that  Lyudmila Mikhaylovna Alekseeva,  the Chair of Helsinki Human Rights Group,  passed away.  

Our first reaction was: how we'll live without her?  She was a reliable, unfailing  defense and protection for all of us,  the people who used to live or still live under unfair regimes.

The first meeting of UCSJ's leaders with Lyudmila Alekseeva took place at the Reykjavik OSCE meeting in 1989 (1988?).  She was highly impressed with the UCSJ international approach to defense of human rights, and the UCSJ's leaders highly appreciated   the large scale of the leading by her organization's activities and her personal fearlessness  and courage.  Since that time our organizations work together and constantly coordinate our affords.

We'll never forget Lyudmila's high moral standards, her leader's wisdom and effectiveness, her kindness and responsiveness  and, of course, her personal irresistible charm. - Leonid Stonov