The First Lady received the Dissident Human Rights Award for all Ukrainians/Screenshot from the video

The Human Rights Award ceremony took place in Washington DC. First Lady Olena Zelenska received an award for all the people of Ukraine.

Zelenskaya arrived in the United States at the invitation of First Lady Jill Biden. She plans to address the United States Congress on the morning of July 20.

Ukrainians were awarded the Dissident Human Rights Award

The First Lady said that on July 19 she had the honor to receive the Dissident Human Rights Award, addressed to the entire Ukrainian people. The award took place at the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington DC.

Since 2015, this award has been given to activists and dissidents of enslaved peoples for their courage in upholding human rights and freedom.

This year, for the first time, it was awarded not to a specific person, but to the entire people of Ukraine for “the courageous struggle for freedom against Russia's aggressive war.” Although the memorial is dedicated to the crimes of communism, it should be remembered that this is only one of the faces of totalitarianism,” Zelenskaya said.

She added that the attacking system can be called anything – the Islamic State or the Russian Federation. However, it is quite easy to recognize totalitarianism by its main feature – aggression, violence, the complete devaluation of human life.

The First Lady noted that at the ceremony she told everyone present how Russia is now using Stalin's repressive methods in Ukraine.

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“How Ukrainians go through Russian filtration camps, how they torture those who do not agree to cooperate with the invaders. How our people are forcibly deported to Russia. At the cost of heroic efforts, we are now fighting not only for our freedom,” Zelenskaya added.

She noted that the Ukrainians are fighting to ensure that the Stalinist Great Terror could no longer be used anywhere and never in the civilized world.

“This is what today's award says, which I'm taking to Ukraine,” the First Lady summed up.

Take note! In the United States, Zelenskaya has already met with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, as well as with the Bidens. The first ladies discussed the support of the United States for the government of Ukraine and its people, who are heroically fighting the Russian occupiers.