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Oleksandr Merezhko

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Oleksandr Merezhko
Олександр Олександрович Мережко
Personal details
Born (1971-02-14) 14 February 1971 (age 53)
Bobrynets, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyServant of the People
Alma materTaras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, University of Denver
OccupationLawyer, philosopher, politician

Oleksandr Oleksandrovich Merezhko (Ukrainian: Олександр Олександрович Мережко; born 14 February 1971[citation needed]) is a Ukrainian politician, jurist and academic. He has been a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for the Servant of the People party since the 2019 election and currently serves as chair of the committee on foreign policy and interparliamentary relations.[1][2] From 2020 to 2024 he was one of Ukraine's 12 deputies in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, serving as vice president from 2020 to 2022.

Biography

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Oleksandr Merezhko was born on 14 February 1971 in Bobrynets, Kirovohrad Oblast.

He graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with honors (specialty – international law). In 1992–1993 he studied at Denver University in 1994.

Merezhko completed postgraduate studies at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, defended his candidate's thesis in international law on the topic "The concept of humanitarian intervention and the mechanism of human rights protection within the framework of the UN" in 1996. Furthermore, he defended his doctoral dissertation on international law on the topic "Theory and Principles of Transnational Trade Law (Lex Mercatoria)" at the Taras Shevchenko Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National University in 2002.

Merezhko acted as a lecturer and professor at multiple academic institutions. These include the University of Denver, the Diplomactic Academy of Ukraine, the Taras Shevchenko National University, at Penn State Dickinson Law, the University KROK in Kyiv, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, the National Transport University, the Andrzej Frych Modzweski Academy, the University of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine and the O. P. Jindal Global University.

Academic views

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Study of Russian politics

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Researches the political and legal system and history of the Russian Federation from the point of view of the sociology of law. Based on the publications of Mykola Timashev, he writes that under the facade of "managed democracy" hides a regime of despotic power in a softened form, characteristic of the history of the Russian state.[3] In the article "Russia as a fascist society" he proves that today Russia corresponds to the scientific and sociological criteria of a fascist society.[4]

History of international law

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In the book "Russian Science of International Law during the First World War" (Kyiv, 2014) he analyzed international law during the war and criticized the modern Russian doctrine of international law, which after the beginning of the temporary annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation turned into propaganda of the Putin regime.

Views on Russia's aggression against other countries

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He is the author of numerous articles on the topic of Russian aggression against Ukraine, researches it from the point of view of international law. Justifies the right of the Crimean Tatar people to self-determination as an indigenous people within Ukraine. Conducts a critical analysis of the arguments of Russian international lawyers and shows the criminal nature of the annexation of Crimea by Russia. In 2008, in one of his journalistic articles, he interpreted the Russo-Georgian war as Georgian aggression by Saakashvili's "imperial" regime against South Ossetia, which met the main criteria of statehood, and the Ossetian people themselves had the right, in Merezhko's opinion, to secession. In the same article, he expressed the opinion that Ukraine should recognize the legitimacy of the secession of both Kosovo and South Ossetia and Abkhazia by analogy with the international recognition of Kosovo by most EU countries, as well as the US, Canada and Australia.[5] In 2020, in a conversation with RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Merezhko stated that Russia, invading the territory of Georgia in 2008 under the guise of peacekeeping, actually carried out an armed aggression against Georgia with the occupation of part of its sovereign territory.[6]

Study of Russia's status in the UN

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Justified the thesis that Russia, taking the place of the USSR in the UN Security Council, thereby clearly violated the UN Charter, since it cannot be considered the same state and the same subject of international law as the USSR; and therefore, from the point of view of international law, Russia cannot be considered a member of the UN.[7]

Participation in international scientific conferences on the Crimea annexation

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In June 2014, he gave a speech "Ideology of Liberalism and International Law" at a scientific conference at the university of Tartu (Estonia), in which he criticized Russia's annexation of Crimea from the point of view of international law.

In September 2014, he gave a speech "The Collapse of the USSR and Territorial Consequences" at the Institute named after Plank in Heidelberg (Germany), in which he showed the illegality of Russia's annexation of Crimea.[8][9][10]

In December 2014, he spoke at the university of Helsinki (Finland) at the "Ukrainian Crisis" seminar with a report in which he presented international legal arguments against Russia's invasion of Donbas.

In March 2015, in Warsaw, at the conference "The Case of Crimea in the Light of International Law", he raised the question of the forms and mechanisms of Russia's international legal responsibility for aggression against Ukraine.[11][12]

Political career

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He was a successful candidate for People's Deputies from the Servant of the People party in the 2019 parliamentary elections, No. 85 on the list.[20][21]

Member of the VRU Committee on Legal Policy, since 17 January 2020 – Chairman of the VRU Committee on Foreign Policy, replacing Bohdan Yaremenko in this position.[22]

Political views

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Advocates women's rights against violence. He created and headed in the Verkhovna Rada the Inter-factional association "For the ratification of the Istanbul Convention!", which conducted an active campaign to support the ratification of this convention.[23]

In the late 1990s, he was influenced by the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, in particular, such social philosophers as Erich Fromm; however, later, under the influence of Petrazhytskyi's philosophy, he switched to the position of liberal democracy. He is a consistent supporter of complete freedom of speech and thought.

Ukraine found itself in a new version of the Russian Empire – the USSR, where it became a victim of what some consider genocide – the Holodomor. Rafal Lemkin, the author of the term "genocide", called the Holodomor an example of Soviet genocide: "This is not just a mass murder. This is genocide, the destruction of culture and people. Soviet national unity is created not through the unity of ideas and cultures, but through the complete destruction of all cultures and all ideas except one – the Soviet one." Russian military aggression against Ukraine is nothing more than a continuation of the traditional Russian imperialist policy aimed at destroying the independent Ukrainian state and enslaving the Ukrainian people.

In an interview with RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, he called the US a partner and friend of Ukraine.[24]

In 2020, he spoke before the Petition Committee of the German Bundestag, presenting arguments in favor of recognizing the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people.[25]

He is one of the authors and initiators of the appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the Bundestag regarding recognition of the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people.[26]

He held hundreds of meetings with colleagues from the foreign affairs committees of the world parliaments, during which he emphasized the need to recognize the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people, and also called on his colleagues to unite for Ukraine's victory over the Russian Federation and bring it to justice for all crimes committed.

He became one of the initiators of the recognition of Russia's crimes as genocide of the Ukrainian people, as well as the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of an appeal to the parliaments and countries of the world regarding the recognition of Russia's crimes as genocide of the Ukrainian people.[27]

Awards and titles

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The honorary title of Honored Lawyer of Ukraine (23 August 2021) – for a significant personal contribution to state building, strengthening defense capabilities, socio-economic, scientific-technical, cultural and educational development of the Ukrainian state, significant labor achievements, many years of conscientious work and on the occasion of the 30 anniversary of the independence of Ukraine.[28]

Sources

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References

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  1. ^ Bazail-Eimil, Eric; Giordano, Elena; Berg, Matt; Ward, Alexander; Gould, Joe (16 July 2024). "US allies grapple with JD Vance". Politico. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Results of elections to European Parliament encouraging for Ukraine – Merezhko". Interfax Ukraine. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Мережко О. – (Краків, Польща) Соціологія радянської держави, права та правосвідомості у вченні М. С. Тимашева (2012)". 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Росія як фашистське суспільство". www.golos.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 9 May 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  5. ^ . 21 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180721105123/http://kmlpj.ukma.edu.ua/article/download/88181/83975. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ Назарчук, Ірина (9 August 2020). "Що ускладнює введення на Донбас "блакитних шоломів"? Точка зору юриста-міжнародника". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Виключення Росії з Радбезу ООН – реальність чи фантастика. Думки експертів". ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). 24 February 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  8. ^ Merezhko, Alexander. "Конференция в Гейдельберге на тему аннексия Крыма и международное право". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Symposium: “The Incorporation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in the Light of International Law”
  10. ^ Oleksandr Merezhko. Crimea’s Annexation by Russia – Contradictions of the New Russian Doctrine of International Law
  11. ^ azz (28 March 2015). "Александр МЕРЕЖКО: Варшавская конференция и Крым". Политком (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  12. ^ (10) The case of Crimea in the light of international law: its nature and implication, 7 July 2015, retrieved 28 September 2023
  13. ^ "Став відомий склад нової делегації України в ПАРЄ". Європейська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  14. ^ Про делегацію України для участі у Тристоронній контактній групі. Указ Президента Уукраїни №167/2020
  15. ^ "Oleksandr Merezhko MP". Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  20. ^ "У першій десятці партії Зеленського люди зі штабу, борець і гендиректор 1+1". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Партія "Слуга народу" обновила список кандидатів". РБК-Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  22. ^ Рада обрала нового главу закордонного комітету замість Яременка
  23. ^ "Професор Олександр Мережко: "Ратифікація Стамбульської конвенції – в центрі уваги Євросоюзу" – Юридична Газета". yur-gazeta.com. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Встретится ли новый президент Украины один на один с Путиным?". Радио Свобода. 29 April 2019. Archived from the original on 29 April 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  25. ^ Назарчук, Ірина (30 November 2021). "Голодомор-геноцид: Україна пам'ятає. Чи визнає більшість світу?". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  26. ^ Документ Комітету з питань зовнішньої політики та міжпарламентського співробітництва ВРУ
  27. ^ "Олександр Мережко: "У тих, хто побачив усе на власні очі, не залишилося жодних сумнівів – це геноцид"". www.golos.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 15 April 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  28. ^ Указ Президента України №406/2021
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