Journalist Maksym Butkevych and four other Ukrainians are recognized as political prisoners in Russia

Human rights activists of an independent Russian project “Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners” have recognized a journalist, human rights activist, and Ukrainian Armed Forces member Maxym Butkevych as a political prisoner.

“The court of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) sentenced him to 13 years in a strict regime colony on charges related to attempted murder, intentional destruction of property, and cruel treatment of civilians and prisoners of war,” according to a Facebook post by “Memorial.”

Russian human rights activists have also published an address where letters can be sent to Butkevych:

294562, LNR, c.o. Krasnyi Luch, c.o. Vakhrushevo, ul. Mira, d. 20,

FKU IK-2 UFSIN for LNR,

Butkevych Maxim Alexandrovich,

born in 1977.

Besides, the “Memorial” project recognized four more Ukrainians as political prisoners:

Volodymyr Udovik
Volodymyr Linnik
Viktoriya Tkachenko
Nataliya Prydatchenko

These individuals are former members of the Aidar Battalion, sentenced in Russia to various terms (up to 6 years) of imprisonment on charges of participating in a terrorist organization.

Maxym Butkevych is known as a human rights activist, journalist, co-founder and member of a non-governmental organization Public Radio.

“Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners” is an independent Russian human rights project that collects, studies, and systematizes information on illegal criminal prosecution for political reasons. It provides assistance to victims of political repression and Russian political prisoners.

As reported earlier, in March 2023, the so-called “Supreme Court” of the terrorist group LNR sentenced Maxym Butkevych to 13 years in prison. In August, the first appellate court of general jurisdiction in Moscow upheld the term of imprisonment. The whereabouts of Maxym Butkevych were unknown from August 2023 until recently.

Main Photo: Hromadske Radio

Translation: Viktoria Levenets 

Editing: Kateryna Yeromenko, Tanya Mykhaylychenko