FAF Statement on Russia/Ukraine

[Sheikah]

The Board of the FAF Association has decided to issue the following statement after the military action launched by Russia in Ukraine:

The Board expresses its grave concern about the military action started by Russia in Ukraine. Alongside the UN, we stand united against war as well as condemn any use of military means to resolve political conflicts.

Since the 24th of February the war between Ukraine and Russia has widely impacted us as a community. On one hand we've had people dropping out of tournaments, while on the other there have been discussions about the war that, at times, spread blatant misinformation regarding the military action. As a board, we've decided to take steps to provide a safe online environment for all of our community members.

All discussions about the war between Russia and Ukraine must happen within #politics on Discord and in the IRC client chat. Any discussions or statements that are a reference to the war outside of the designated channels can be reported to the moderation team, regardless of their nature. By doing this we create an opt-in environment for those who desire it, and preserve the regular FAF experience for those who do not.

Any claim or statement in the designated channels that is not supported by the United Nations may be subject to moderation. We understand that the first casualty of war is truth and especially in the information era today this is even more the case according to experts appointed by the Human Rights Council. We consider the United Nations as our ground truth, and we will use it as our standard for moderation.

We understand that the actions of a country do not necessarily reflect the views of its citizens—therefore, we will not ban or otherwise suppress Russian members of our community over the actions of their government. That being said, with tensions so high, we ask our members to refrain from engaging in excessive political discourse.

The Board notes that the FAF Association is based in Denmark, and as a direct consequence it is not possible to transfer FAF prize funds towards Russian players. We are bound to Danish laws as they are enacted with respect to this conflict.