Mykola Gnatovskyy, Lətif Hüseynov and Stéphane Pisani, judges of the European Court of Human Rights elected in respect of Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, participated in the conference Defending Democracy: European Legal Frameworks and the National Context in Lviv on 23 and 24 October 2026.

The conference, organised by the Supreme Court of Ukraine in co-operation with the Ukrainian Catholic University, the Council of Europe and the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine, examined how democratic institutions can defend themselves while respecting human rights and the rule of law, with a particular focus on the challenges arising in wartime. It brought together judges of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, representatives of public authorities and international organisations, academics and members of civil society.

Judge Gnatovskyy contributed to the opening discussion on why democracy needs to defend itself and to the session on the rights of military personnel. In his remarks, he emphasised the close links between peace, democracy and human rights, referring to the Grand Chamber’s judgment in Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia.

Judge Hüseynov participated in the session on freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs. Judge Pisani contributed to the discussion on freedom of expression in times of war.

All three judges also took part in a discussion on the challenges facing legal education in Europe with judges, law professors, and students.

The two-day programme also addressed restrictions on political rights in defence of democratic institutions and the protection of veterans’ rights.