Benefit concert for Ukraine by ACAT Luxembourg;
On Sunday 23 March 2025, ACAT (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture) Luxembourg held a benefit concert for Ukraine at the Konvikt Chapel in Luxembourg City, a venue made available by All Saints Anglican Church.
The concert was set to feature traditional music performed by musicians from Ukraine and Luxembourg, namely: Belle Bandura (Nadiya Balych and Natalia Demchuk); a duo from Lviv composed of Kateryna and Evgenia Avdieieva; local musicians and music teachers Ria and Claude Clement; folk duo Michel Pecheur and Vincent Soubeyran.
The concert was expected to raise money for Healthy Initiatives, a Ukrainian NGO which the organisers said once focused on public health in Eastern Europe and now raises funds for ambulances to evacuate wounded civilians and soldiers, along with CAT tourniquets to save lives.
After the concert, however, one attendee notified Chronicle.lu that some of the musicians and guests had walked out due to an “unacceptable situation”. “During the event, it became known that the flyers with the programme, in addition to information about the organisers and participants, also included a section about a Russian political prisoner and a petition for his release,” she explained.
She noted that neither the performing groups nor the guests attending in support of Ukraine had been informed of this in advance. “The first Ukrainian band scheduled to perform addressed the audience from the stage, explaining why they refused to perform and why it is unacceptable to mix Ukrainian issues with Russian ones at the same event. […] Instead of initiating a petition for the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war or the return of deported Ukrainian children, the event organisers chose to urge Ukrainians to sign a petition in support of a Russian citizen,” she said, adding that many Ukrainian guests left the concert after the band's statement.
Chronicle.lu reached out to the organisers for comment. In response, Christina Fabian, President of ACAT Luxembourg, confirmed the situation that unfolded during the concert, saying: "We fully respect the musicians' decision not to perform, as they shared in their prepared statement on stage with the audience. […] At the same time, we are deeply saddened by the situation, as our intention was to unite people in support of Ukraine through this benefit concert." According to the organisers, the concert continued after adjustments were made to the programme and some Ukrainian musicians and guests stayed on.
Ms Fabian clarified that the printed programme pamphlet included a petition in solidarity with jailed Russian anti-war activist, Aleksei Gorinov. "Recognising such voices of dissent is an important part of raising awareness about the realities and complexities of this war," she said.
She added that "ACAT Luxembourg's main objective remains providing assistance to those whose human rights are at risk. As such, we frequently share petitions and urgent calls-to-action for those imprisoned and subjected to torture and the violation of their human rights in various countries through our newsletters and in-person events, as part of our broader commitment to human rights advocacy and most certainly in this particular case. […] However, we regret that this decision led to those musicians choosing not to perform". The ACAT Luxembourg President concluded: "We hope that, in time, there will be greater opportunities for dialogue and healing among those affected by this war."
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