Lyudmyla Kozlovska’s Fight Against Financial Repression
Lyudmyla Kozlovska grew up in Sevastopol, Crimea. As a teenager, her family faced political persecution. Strangers came to help them. When she asked why, they said it was because her family did good things and others asked for help. This moment inspired her to start the Open Dialogue Foundation. The foundation defends people hurt by bad governments.
After working on Ukraine’s Orange Revolution and moving to Poland for her PhD, Kozlovska founded the Open Dialogue Foundation. She worked across Ukraine, Central Asia, Russia, Moldova, Belarus, and the European Union. Her goal was simple: peace at home depends on peace with neighbors.
The Financial Blockade Against Kozlovska
Kozlovska calls what happened to her “transnational financial repression.” Authoritarian governments use international rules, like anti-money laundering (AML) and counterterrorism laws, to label people as threats. This cuts them off from money and travel. In 2018, Kozlovska experienced this firsthand.
She said, “Even with all my connections in European parliaments, I could not protect my financial data. They used anti-money laundering and counterterrorism rules to call me a security threat without any legal proof, just because of my human rights work.”
This hurt not only her but her family, organization, donors, partners, and even their cleaning lady. Banks stopped their payments. This meant no salaries, rent, legal help, or humanitarian aid.
Turning to Bitcoin for Help
Kozlovska had no other options. She said, “What you have in your hands is Bitcoin. Peer to peer.” Bitcoin lets people send money directly without banks or exchanges. It is money you can hold yourself.
Using Bitcoin in self custody helped her send aid to political prisoners, refugees, and families on the run. Donors could give money without waiting for approval from banks or compliance teams. Back then, it was easier to find local Bitcoin traders in Europe. Today, EU rules make Bitcoin in self custody look suspicious when it touches regulated institutions.
Belgium passed a law to guarantee the right to a bank account. But global banks still follow the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) rules. If Belgian banks want to keep their licenses, they must follow these standards. This is why Kozlovska focuses much of her advocacy on the United States.
Why the United States Is Important
Kozlovska said, “The US is a key country that sets rules on financial regulation, privacy, travel data, communication data, and cybersecurity.” If privacy tools are labeled as criminal, investment stops. Without investment, freedom technology that helps people under threat will disappear.
Her group helped start the Building True Change Coalition. This group explains how Bitcoin supports human rights and fast humanitarian aid. They fight rules that punish donors who want to help. They teach the difference between targeted policing and mass surveillance.
Kozlovska warns, “If we do not build privacy tools now, there will be nothing left to protect in five years.”
Hidden Risks for Everyone
Many people in safe countries think this won’t affect them. Kozlovska disagrees. She points to quiet tools like Interpol Purple Notices and cross-border data requests. These can collect your travel, communication, and financial data without your knowledge.
She said, “Your business can be destroyed by a simple request you never hear about. Many startups and people in Western countries have been hurt by competitors from other countries without knowing how it happened.”
This is not just an activist issue. It is a national security problem. Her advice is clear: learn about privacy, use privacy tools, and prepare before trouble comes.
AI, Freedom Tech, and the Future
Kozlovska sees two futures. Centralized AI can be used to watch and control people. Open tools can protect privacy and freedom. She is recruiting people to build this future.
She said, “AI can be used against us, but it can also be used by us to protect us. If we build a coalition in the next five years, we can change reality. We can create a team of tech developers who protect privacy and build secure digital spaces.”
This coalition needs developers, donors, victims willing to speak out, lawyers, and regulators open to learning. She adds, “Institutions are made of people. You have to spend time educating them.”
