Statement by BASEES Executive Committee - 30 March 2023

Yesterday, Wednesday 29 March, the social media comments of two BASEES Conference 2023 delegates, Dr Olga Andreevskikh and Bella Rapoport, were brought to our attention. They appeared to have been in breach of our established anti-harassment policy and conference code of conduct in the light of Russia’s war against Ukraine, both of which apply to all delegates – see www.baseesconference.org. 

We therefore approached both delegates to address these possible breaches of our policies. Olga Andreevskikh decided to withdraw her papers from the conference, including her joint paper with Bella Rapoport. Olga also apologised for her recent comments on social media that have separately been subject to an investigation by her home institution, Tampere University. 

The roundtable ‘Queer women & post-Soviet spaces: Migration, activism, and lived experiences’, including the co-authored paper by Olga Andreevskikh and Bella Rapoport, has been cancelled by the roundtable organisers.

The BASEES Executive Committee has had insufficient time to liaise with Tampere University and we cannot monitor and police delegates’ extensive social media content. With the conference starting in less than 24 hours, and with our dedication to providing a harassment-free and safe conference experience for everyone, we have decided to  withdraw the invitations for Olga Andreevskikh and Bella Rapoport to participate in BASEES Conference 2023.

BASEES reiterates its strong support for Ukraine. We encourage all members of our community to come together to stand against Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The BASEES Executive Committee

30 March 2023